Tourism and Perceptions of Fire in the South

Forest fires can have serious economic impacts if they cause a decrease in tourism.  Tourism may decrease if tourists believe that there is a high risk of wildfire or that wildfires will damage their health.  The media, who publicize information about wildfires, help to create tourists’ perceptions of wildfire but only 2% of Florida’s tourists said that media reports cause them to change travel plans.  When a lot of fires are burning near popular tourist sites, it may cause a decrease in the number of tourists who visit (Thapa, Holland, Absher 2003).  There was a decline in tourism to Daytona Beach during the wildfire outbreak in Florida in 1998.  In Orange, Volusia, St. John’s, Brevard and other counties in Florida, lodging businesses lost $61 million in 1998 and other businesses lost $77.2 million (Butry and others 2001).  Wildfires do not always cause a decrease in tourism.  In 2001, 80-90% of tourists said that wildfires would not cause them to change their travel plans to Florida while only 10-20% of tourists reported that fires may cause them to change future travel plans to Florida (Thapa, Holland, Absher 2003).  11% of people said they would travel to another state if there were wildfires in Florida, but 52% said they would still visit Florida.