Tsunami risk perception of the touristic population of Stromboli Island: towards effective risk communication strategies

Abstract

This study focuses on the risks that tourists would face during a tsunami on the island of Stromboli and discusses how to best inform and prepare them. Tsunamis affect coastal regions, where many of these are leisure destinations for tourists who often don’t have adequate knowledge of the region's risks. Due to their proximity to the affected areas, near-source or local tsunamis usually allow for a limited warning time, posing great challenges to the planning of effective risk mitigation action. Furthermore, tourist populations have a particular significance in studies on risk perception, since their needs intersect with those of the local population and must be taken into account. To gather key knowledge for developing robust risk communication strategies, a survey (n = 699) was conducted between July and October 2023 to assess tourists' risk perception and preparedness. The findings indicate that tourists often misdescribe tsunamis, leading to underestimation of the security threats posed by smaller events and revealing shortcomings in current communication approaches. Given the tourism industry practices on the island, effective communication strategies for tourists should prioritize providing comprehensive information within the first 24 h of their arrival. Furthermore, given the high percentage of tourists who visit the island for a few hours and within certain time slots, we invite the authorities to provide this information before disembarking on the island.