Analysis on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness Level of Hospitality Industry in Palu and Gorontalo Cities

Abstract

Palu and Gorontalo cities are provincial capitals located on Sulawesi Island, Indonesia. In 2018, the city of Palu was hit by the earthquake that was followed by tsunami disaster and liquefaction, causing thousands of people to die and hundreds of thousands were displaced. These types of disasters and emergencies may also potentially strike Gorontalo City due to its geographic similarity to Palu City. Natural disasters affect workers and companies, including those working in the hospitality industry. Natural disasters are not the only cause of emergencies in the hospitality industry. Emergencies in this industry can also be caused by non-natural disasters, including by social disasters. This study aimed to assess the level of emergency and disaster preparedness in the hospitality sector in Palu and Gorontalo cities using a questionnaire adapted from the APEC tourism risk management and tourism resilience index. Focus Group Discussions and interviews were also performed to discuss the implementation of emergency and disaster management in the workplace. The results of the multiple correspondence analysis of emergency preparedness and disaster management factors in hotels in Palu shows that they are relatively closer to the moderate rating. Meanwhile, the same variables in Gorontalo are found to be in the low category. Based on these results, the participation of the private sector (hospitality industry) and the government is needed to build a good synergy in disaster risk reduction programs both locally and nationally.