Building Resilience from Double Disasters: The Direct Impact of The Pandeglang Tsunami 2018 And COVID-19 Outbreak on Tourism and Supporting Industry

Abstract

Tanjung Lesung, Pandeglang was designated as the first Tourism Special Economic Zones since 2015. However, the coastal area in Pandeglang is prone to disasters. Recently, a tsunami upended the hospitality industry in Pandeglang. Compounded with the occurrence of COVID-19 outbreak, recovery measures prove to be more difficult. The tourism sector has broader economic implications due to its ties with other supporting sectors. The purpose of this study is to understand the direct impacts on tourism and its supporting industry after the tsunami and COVID-19 outbreak in Pandeglang. Therefore, the research question is: “What are the direct impacts of the 2018 tsunami and COVID-19 outbreak to Pandeglang tourism?”. This research uses a qualitative method, particularly content analysis of news, articles, journals, and the result of interviews. The results show that the direct impacts of both disasters to the Pandeglang tourism sector comprise of three aspects, namely the damage in physical assets, the decrease in value property, and the loss of lives. As a regency that relies heavily on tourism as one of its mainstay economic sectors, the tsunami and COVID-19 pandemic are big blows to Pandeglang tourism.