noted that it was not until Hurricane Hugo hit South Carolina, USA in 1989 that the Myrtle Beach because the industry is highly susceptible to change and crises/disasters. However, a small but growing body of research on crisis and disaster management has been conducted in the tourism industry. This may be due, in
part, to the chaotic and complex nature of these incidents and an inability by some managers and
researchers to understand such phenomena. However, an analysis of the nature of crises and disasters can
provide insights for how these may be managed. This is particularly important in the context of a fragmented
industry such as tourism which is often impacted by external factors. A strategic, holistic and proactive
approach to crisis management in the tourism industry is required through:
* developing proactive scanning and planning;
* implementing strategies when crises or disasters occur; and,
* evaluating the effectiveness of these strategies to ensure continual refinement of crisis management
strategies.