Yet another disaster - Wayanad, Kerala

As my home state is reeling under a disaster of a magnitude we have never seen, my heart is bleeding, and I am not there in the ground like I could in the past. The only solace is that I am away working on an initiative that could be an answer to create a platform that brings the Tourism, Development, & Humanitarian sectors on a common platform globally and at a hyper-local level during a disaster like this.

As I write this, the death toll has crossed 300, and many hundreds are missing. Many families that we know in person have perished, and several travel industry colleagues are either missing or dead.

The death toll of approximately 500 people in the 2018 floods in Kerala was reported from across the state, whereas the current number of 300+ is coming just from one village in the district of #Wayanad. While the loss and damage reports are a work in progress in the ongoing disaster, the 2018 flood-related economic loss was estimated by the UN agencies to be $ 3.7 billion.

As rescue volunteers collect bodies from as far away as 15 km from ground zero, one can only imagine the devastation. In the middle of all this, we are witnessing a well-coordinated rescue effort that involves Central and Stage Government Agencies, District Administration, Local Self-Governments, community volunteers, and, notably, our tourism industry colleagues.

Frequent disasters that are coming our way are proving one thing again and again.

Whatever the humanitarian sector needs during a disaster of this scale is readily available in our industry. A symbiotic partnership between these two sectors is the need of the hour. Instead of last-minute, unorganised methods in chaos and doing all we can, using our resources and tools, it's time we all come together and strategise to be more effective.

Accommodation and shelter, food and beverage that can be served with dignity at a very hyperlocal level, access to logistics and supply chain including vehicles and the ability to manage large fleets during a crisis, highly skilled human resources and the ability to raise funds in a short time

Anyone working in the humanitarian / disaster management sector typically needs the above. Our $9T travel and hospitality industry has all this and more.

With the frequency of climate change-related disasters worldwide increasing, local governments and the development and humanitarian sectors face massive fatigue.

We can handle and overcome future disasters with a symbiotic partnership between various sectors, ideally tourism, development, and Humanitarian sectors. This collaboration is the key to being future-ready.

The effort currently going on in Wayanad in Kerala is a unique model that the world could emulate. Hotels and resorts are volunteering to provide their rooms; restaurant kitchens are converted into community kitchens; off-roaders are dispatching their vehicles to support Government efforts; adventure travel companies are sending their staff and team members; Whatsapp groups are created to co-ordinate demands in ground zero and offer from well-wishers.

DMCs and Tour operators in other states and FTOs are calling us asking what is it that they can do. Many of our industry partners are prioritising what they can do based on their core competencies and capacities. Some are involved in the first response, some others are waiting for the recovery phase, and some have already started making commitments about building new houses.

Between politics, ego, and all the mess we are in, it’s genuinely inspiring to see how the industry has come out on top. Irrespective of the reputational damage the travel industry has regarding GHG emissions and over tourism and haphazard destination development, the way travel industry partners come together is a story with a positive stride.

A destination that responds with compassion and empathy during a disaster is one that one will bet their money on as a place they can trust to travel and do business in the future. Climate disasters are no longer stand-alone events in some remote global south countries. It's at everyone's doorstep, and it's time we all come together.

Humanitarian Potential of $9T Tourism industry, the article written by Jessica Abraham for Devex discusses the possibilities of symbiotic relationship between sectors.