The impact of wildfires on tourism: A systematic literature review

A systematic literature review

Abstract

The relationship between wildfires and tourism has gained increasing importance in both academic research and public policy. The focus of this article is a review of the literature in which the impact of wildfires on tourism is analysed, in protected and rural areas. A search was undertaken in academic databases, and by means of the PRISMA model, 15 articles were identified and considered directly relevant to the objective. This review led to the following conclusions: (i) studies show substantial negative impacts of wildfires on local tourism, as they affect destination image, attractiveness to visitors, infrastructure and communities’ economic development,  and adverse effects on the regional economies of Southern Europe; (ii) despite several negative outcomes being identified in the literature, such as a reduction in visitor numbers and damage to infrastructure, some studies suggest that effective management can enable post-fire recovery; (iii) there are few studies that focus on visitors’ perception of fire risk, especially in protected and rural areas, which have unique cultural and natural characteristics. This systematic literature review is the first step toward a better understanding of wildfires and tourism relationships, helping to identify some gaps in the literature and avenues for future research.