Web-Based Risk Communication for Visitors to the Cascadia Coast: A Systematic Review of Official Destination Websites

Abstract

Destination websites provide information to visitors about local attractions, events, amenities, and businesses. However, it is unclear how much websites for coastal tourism inform tourists about coastal hazards and safety threats they may be exposed to while visiting. Prior research related to tourism knowledge of local hazards found that tourists tended to be less aware of hazards and what actions they should take to respond to them. In this study, we examine the information provided on thirty-seven official destination websites for cities and regions on the U.S. Pacific Northwest coast. This coastal area is exposed to a variety of hazards from common beach threats such as rip currents, and low-frequency, high-impact hazards including earthquakes and tsunamis. For each website, we conducted a systematic text content analysis for content related to coastal hazards and weather conditions. A majority of websites (68%) had at least some information related to weather, whereas less than half of websites (35%) had information related to coastal hazards with the most frequently described coastal hazards being sneaker waves and tides. Based on our findings, we recommend that comprehensive coastal hazard information be a key component of destination websites to help visitors better prepare for coastal hazard risks.