Planning for tourist urban evacuation routes: A framework for improving the data collection and evacuation processes

Guy Wachtel,Yuval Hadas,Yuhan Gao,Jan-Dirk Schmöcker,Oren E Nahum,Boaz Ben-Moshe

doi:10.1177/2399808321994575

Abstract

Tourism is one of the largest growing industries worldwide. As the number of tourists is rapidly increasing, so too are tourist safety concerns. The increasing frequency of natural disasters along with the growth of urban areas makes it even more complex to address the resilience of tourists during such events. This article proposes a framework for collecting information about tourist locations and flows within urban areas and how to use this information for more efficient and safe evacuation routing. We define population behavior models that can be obtained from gathering empirical data and categorize them into three groups. We review the different evacuation scenarios (divided into sudden and predictable scenarios) and the types of information needed in each case. Further, we discuss the complexity of monitoring and forecasting tourists’ movements in the long term and for short-term predictions including the available data sources for doing so. The data gathering and tourist behavior are explained with examples from Kyoto, Japan, a major tourist attraction and a location that is prone to disasters. Finally, technological solutions for better guidance during the evacuation process of the population are discussed, including low-tech ones and advanced options such as websites, apps and Bluetooth Low Energy sensors, where the last one is demonstrated by a navigation experiment in a 3D environment.

Highlights

As the number of tourists is continuously increasing worldwide, so too are tourist safety concerns
When tourist evacuation is needed, it is essential to take into consideration that tourists are often less informed and prepared and more vulnerable to becoming trapped in chaotic situations (see for instance the articles by Villegas et al (2013) and more recently, Aliperti et al (2020) that deal with the lack of information supplied to tourists about risks and warning systems and its influence on tourists’ preparedness to hazards)
As we focus on evacuation route choice, a good example is that of Sadri et al (2015), who showed how, in the case of a hurricane, the specific characteristics of the disaster as well as those of the decision maker influenced their evacuation route choice

Summary

Introduction

As the number of tourists is continuously increasing worldwide, so too are tourist safety concerns. This is due to increasingly frequent and severe natural hazards as well as terrorism, where large crowds of tourists can be targeted. In cases such as earthquakes or terrorist attacks, fast evacuation is often needed. When tourist evacuation is needed, it is essential to take into consideration that tourists are often less informed and prepared and more vulnerable to becoming trapped in chaotic situations (see for instance the articles by Villegas et al (2013) and more recently, Aliperti et al (2020) that deal with the lack of information supplied to tourists about risks and warning systems and its influence on tourists’ preparedness to hazards). Technological innovations in recent years have brought about new options for designing such methods and protocols more efficiently

Objectives

Conclusion