Who is protecting tourists in New Zealand from severe weather hazards?: an exploration of the role of locus of responsibility in protective behaviour decisions

Abstract

Much of New Zealand's tourism industry is focused on 'the outdoors', capitalising on its natural environment and attractions. However, this 'product' makes New Zealand tourism vulnerable to environmental variability and disturbances, including the weather. As a consequence, New Zealand weather has a significant impact on the industry in terms of operations, tourist satisfaction, and tourist safety. This paper presents the results of a study on how tourists in New Zealand anticipate possible hazardous weather events, to what extent they prepare themselves, and their information preferences (type and source) that help them to stay safe when severe weather occurs.