Visiting Florida!

Visiting Florida!Has the Hurricane risk been communicated on Internet?

Mariam ShaikhFlorida State University, FL

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Presentation@Governor Hurricane Conference1

Florida- The Sunshine State

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Presentation@Governor Hurricane Conference

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Key Tourist sites Tourism is one of Florida's most important economic drivers, with an estimated 38.4 million out-of-state visitors heading to Florida beaches each year.

heavily developed recreational shorelines. Orlando -- the state's tourism powerhouse-- is in central Florida, more than an hour away from either the Gulf Coast or the Atlantic Coast.

Key west- Miami offer tourist attractions.

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Study Objective To Develop a conceptual understanding of value of communicating Hurricane information to visiting Tourists.

It explores: the internet medium as information resource for Visitors in Florida with specific regard to tourism in Hurricane season.

What information and information resources are available in regard to HURRICANES for visitors.

What does the Literature and Historical review says on the relationship between Hurricanes and tourists in Florida?

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The Atlantic hurricane season is officially June 1 through November 30, with the peak of the season considered mid-August to mid-October.

As Andrew was approaching, an estimated 20,000-30,000 tourists were in the Florida Keys (Monroe County)

In 2005, when Rita was declared a tropical storm, All tourists were told to evacuate the Lower Keys immediately.

Dennis Henize (1992-08-30). "Hurricane Andrew Post Storm Report" (GIF). National Weather Service Key West, Florida. Hurricane Andrew, Hurricane Wallet Digital Archives

Reuters (September 18, 2005). "Tropical Storm Rita forms near Bahamas" Presentation@Governor Hurricane Conference

Trip to Florida & Hurricanes

Tourists & Hurricanes! What’s the Research Hurricanes affect Florida more than any other US state (Elsner et al. 2004).

Tourists are also a vulnerable population in Hurricane studies (Matyas et al., 2011). since

they might be less informed and prepared than residents of disaster-prone areas (Villegas, 2012).

In the context of Florida the evacuation behavior of tourists(Matyas et al., 2011) is important.

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Travel DecisionsThe risk-related studies in tourism on pre-travel decisions So¨nmez and Graefe (1998) found that perceptions of risk or safety can alter rational decision making as it pertains to travel modes and choices while in a destination.

tourists may perceive locations that have been affected by previous natural disasters (i.e.,Miami or Key West) as more risky than destinations, which have not been hit by past natural disasters.

tourists that visit an inland city such as Orlando, Florida, may perceive the location to be less at risk from a hurricane strike when compared to the coast,

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Tourists & Exposure to Hurricane Messages! Research focused so far in the communication of hurricane-related warnings is on audience’s cognitive processing of warning messages and its subsequent behavioral intention (Dash and Gladwin, 2007).

Less research done to value the availability of tourist based information on Hurricanes.

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Visiting Florida!Internet resources for visitors Visit Florida- Official Vacation & Tourism Guides

State of Florida- Florida Travel and Tourism Guides

THE FLORIDA COMMISSION ON TOURISM Discover America- Visit Florida Yahoo Travel Google.com

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VISIT FLORIDA-the official travel guide http://www.visitflorida.com/en-us.html

Contents Travel Ideas Cities Visit Florida-electronic guide

Florida Travel Tips

Family Travel FAQ

Messages how to travel with a

car seat, how to keep the kids safe, how to save at the theme parks and more

June is Fishing Month in Florida

Florida's "rainy season" runs from about June through September.

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Yahoo. Travel siteArticles on internet

Planning a Florida Vacation? Don't Let the Weather Ruin Your Fun, Beau Hunter, 2008

Should You Travel to Orlando, Florida During Hurricane Season? R. Dubuc, 2008

It's the Off Season in Florida, It's the Best Time to Go! Eliza Lynn Taylor, 2006

Message! Risk for encountering a hurricane is slim for most travelers(Dubac)

These storms are unpredictable, Don’t postpone, be prepared (Hunter)

Best time to visit Florida is when Hurricane season is over! (Taylor)

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Google.comIs it safe to visit Florida in hurricane season?Absolutely!

Top search results When a Hurricane

Threatens- Traveling to the Florida Keys During Hurricane Season

About.com- Family Vacations

Tripadvisor.com/ Key West: Key West and Hurricane Season

Florida Vacation Advisor

Contents &Messages Prepared in Paradise: Information For

Traveling In The Florida Keys During The Atlantic Hurricane Season (electronic format)

The chances of Miami being hit by a hurricane is "higher than anywhere in the Caribbean“

Walt Disney World has a Hurricane Policy that deals with cancellation of vacations

Do NOT let hurricane season make you change your mind about vacationing in Key West.

A few precautions can help ensure a vacation that's not only fun, but safe.

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Google.comVisiting Florida, What should I know?

Common resources Everything You Need to Know About Visiting Florida - www.VisitFlorida.com

Florida Driving Laws, Pedestrians and Move Over Act - www.leg.state.fl.us

Florida Beach Safety eBook - www.beachhunter.net/beachsafety.htm

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission - www.myfwc.com

Florida Beach Safety Tips -http://www.doh.state.fl.us/environment/community/aquatic/beach_index_indepth.html

Florida Boating Regulations - www.myfwc.com/rulesandregs/Rules_Boat.htm

Florida Beach Driving Regulations - www.volusia.org/beach/beach2.htm

Florida Protected Wildlife and Environments - www.myfwc.com/WildLifeHabitats/index.htm

Travel Destinations

Driving Laws Beach Safety Boating Regulations

Wildlife Summer Travel-Heat

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The Weather Channel - www.weather.com

USA Today Travel & Weather - http://www.usatoday.com/weather/wilist.htm

Visit Florida - www.visitflorida.com

National Hurricane Center - www.nhc.noaa.gov

South Florida Hurricane Center - www.srh.noaa.gov/mia

National Weather Service - www.nws.noaa.gov

National Climatic Data Center - www.ncdc.noaa.gov

Florida Emergency Management Center - www.myflorida.com


helpful links for hurricanes/tropical storm information:Regarding internet searchingduring extreme weather such as a hurricane, individuals receive information about the hurricaneelsewhere (either online or off ) and then seek additional information online in an attempt to locate specific information(Sherman-Morris et al., 2011)

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Selective availability

Available only on using specific search terms i.e. Hurricanes

Positive and urge Preparedness

Official communication from key vulnerable sites (Key west)

Visit Florida- provides no information


Hurricanes for VisitorsInformation profile

Key quotes we found! The vast majority of these travelers enjoy good times untroubled by bad weather; in fact, summer's a peak time for tourists to visit Florida.

About.com/Family Vacations For all this natural beauty, we are reminded there is a small price - hurricane season.

greater FORT LAUDERDALE, Hello Sunny ‘Those who do avoid the Sunshine State during the June through November period sometimes find themselves missing out on some serious vacations savings’.

Florida Vacation Advisor

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Do Florida tourists need to know, it’s Hurricane season?

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Absolutely, Inform the Tourists!A Framework for Tourism based disaster (Hurricane) Communication is necessary Tourism destinations in every corner of the globe face the virtual certainty of experiencing a disaster (Faulkner, 2001).

Several authors on the vulnerability of tourist destinations, and thus tourists, to disasters have suggested that tourists might be more exposed to danger than anyone else (Drabek, 1995). Murphy and Bayley (1989) where events such as hurricanes, avalanches and volcanic activity are common.

few tourism organisations at the enterprise or destination level have properly developed disaster strategies.

in econometric terms, disasters involves the risk of a counter-productive over-reaction,(Cammisa's (1993) observations regarding the response of Florida tourism authorities to Hurricane Andrew in 1992)

The role of media in disaster management strategies can be crucial.

A logical step is to communicate using media.

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We need to help tourists make informed decisions! Make Available the information on Internet accessible through official tourist guides on:

Information on Florida’s climate and weather

hurricanes information Companies offer Hurricane guarantees to increase businesses, I.e Disney World Hurricane Guarantee

travel insurances Safety Guides

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Bibliography Dash N, Gladwin H (2007) Evacuation decision making and behavioral

responses: individual and household. Nat Hazards Rev 8(3):69–77 Faulkner, B. (2001). Towards a framework for tourism disaster

management. Tourism Management, 22(2), 135-147. Matyas, C., Srinivasan, S., Cahyanto, I., Thapa, B., Pennington-

Gray, L., & Villegas, J. (2011). Risk perception and evacuation decisions of Florida tourists under hurricane threats: a stated preference analysis. Natural hazards, 59(2), 871-890.

Sherman-Morris, K., Senkbeil, J., & Carver, R. (2011). Who's Googling What? What Internet Searches Reveal about Hurricane Information Seeking. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 92(8).

Villegas, J., Matyas, C., Srinivasan, S., Cahyanto, I., Thapa, B., & Pennington-Gray, L. (2013). Cognitive and affective responses of Florida tourists after exposure to hurricane warning messages. Natural hazards, 66(1), 97-116.

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Internet Resources used!Keywords used for Searching internet based information: is it safe to visit florida in hurricane season? Hurricanes and tourists, Visiting florida in hurricane season, visiting Florida in June.

http://www.fla-keys.com/hurricaneseason.cfm

http://www.fla-keys.com/pdf/HurrVisitor.pdf

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g34345-c72398/Key-West:Florida:Key.West.And.Hurricane.Season.html

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Visiting Florida!

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