“Black Summer” bushfires burned down tourism in Australia

The 2019-2020 Australian “Black Summer” bushfire disaster devastated tourism and left lasting scars on the country’s economy, according to a new assessment.

The bushfires resulted in billions of dollars worth of losses to Australian tourism. One national park was devastated and another suffered significant infrastructure losses. This damage led directly to substantial losses to Australia’s tourism industry, damages felt even to this day, scientists say.

Australian scientists say the bushfire episode and aftermath should serve as a stark warning to tourism authorities and parks managers everywhere that the consequences of global warming will make their lives more difficult for years to come.

“These results are an illustration of what can be expected in the future not only in Australia but in other nations that are vulnerable to climate-change-driven disasters,” said Vivienne Reiner, a researcher at the University of Sydney’s Centre for Integrated Sustainability Analysis.

The devastating economic impact stemmed in part from the fact that the fires hit the country at the peak of its tourist season. Two national parks and UNESCO World Heritage Sites were hard hit: Lamington National Park and Blue Mountains National Park.

At Lamington National Park, the fire devastation burned down critical park infrastructure, including roads and the popular Binna Burra Lodge.

The devastation at Blue Mountains National Park was far worse. The paper estimates that some 82 percent of that park was burned, and this has resulted in major economic losses to communities closest to the park which rely on visitors to fill hotels and restaurants. The authors say the Blue Mountains National Park region is still trying to recover from the bushfire disaster some four years later.

Total losses amounted to “AU$2.8 billion in total output, $1.56 billion in final demand, $810 million in income, and 7,300 jobs,” according to the study authors. The research was led by the University of Sydney, with the report published in the journal Economics of Disasters and Climate Change.

The researchers behind the study caution that their economic loss estimates are likely very conservative. Their methodology “did not quantify other economic costs, such as the supply-chain impacts of losses from agriculture or forestry, which were also substantially impacted by the fires,” Reiner clarified.

Australia’s eastern states were hit hardest, especially New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. Queensland and Victoria also suffered extensive economic damages and job losses, and these impacts are still being felt years after the summer bushfire disaster.

The authors stress that the hit to Australia’s economy reverberated far beyond the two national parks. The study uncovered evidence that would-be visitors to all parts of Australia changed or canceled their plans amid the news and publicity surrounding the bushfire disaster.

They most worry that reputational damage from the bushfires and ongoing climate change could have permanently dented Australia’s appeal as one of the world’s premier tourism destinations. Other countries may suffer from a similar negative knock-on effect, the study’s authors speculate.

“Australia’s reputation as a pristine destination could become permanently damaged in the longer term under global warming, with fewer people traveling in Australia in our peak summer holiday season,” the authors speculate. “Similarly, people may start to avoid other countries and regions that are increasingly in the media for their wildfires and other natural hazards.”

Scientists also warn that global warming and a consequent increase in average ocean temperatures threaten the World Heritage status of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Last year, UNESCO came closer than ever to downgrading the status of Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

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