How We, As Travellers, Can Help Natural Disaster Victims

As an Australian, I was recently glued to my television in horror at the devastating Queensland floods that have so far been the worst natural disaster in the nation’s history. It seems an all too common occurrence at the moment, and now, after the New Zealand and Japan earthquakes (and subsequent tsunami) you wonder if it’s ever going to stop. As a traveller these are the places we visit, the places we love, and more often than not, the places where we’ve met new friends and had the time of our lives – It’s hard to imagine that something so horrible could happen there. How can it be that these places are now flattened when they once stood so tall?

While I feel nothing but sorrow for both New Zealand and Japan, the Australian floods in Queensland were particularly harrowing for me as it’s my home, my people, and a place I visited only recently and had a blast in. I personally struggle in imagining the extent of damage that a natural disaster causes – both emotionally and structurally – and I always think of the travellers as well as the locals in a particular place and wonder how they must be feeling, so far from home and so far from loved ones. I fear being stuck somewhere during a natural disaster, but it’s a fear I fight and one I’ll never let rule me – its much the same as worrying about a terrorist attack on your flight – you can’t let this stop you from living your life, and we as travellers cannot let this stop us from exploring every inch of the world and following our nomadic dreams.

Each of these locations may never be the same again, and people certainly won’t forget what’s happened easily. Cities and towns will no doubt change – recent news reports suggest that Christchurch will be a city of the past now that insurance companies are refusing buildings insurance anywhere in the city due to the earthquake fault line, and it looks like all of the buildings that crumbled in the earthquake may never be rebuilt again. And with Japan still in a state of turmoil, the country’s food supply and exporting industry will likely be unstable for some time yet.

But, in saying this, neither the locals nor the travellers will be beaten by these recent events. New Zealand is already urging for tourists and it won’t be long before Japan will be doing the same. I think more than ever we need to get out there, experience these changed cities and towns and spread some love to the people who need it most right now. As travellers I believe we have a duty – a duty to bring tourism back to places that once flourished from the money that holiday-makers, tourists and travellers brought into the country but who are now struggling after the dust has settled to pick up the pieces.

While I strongly believe we should allow the locals the mourning time they obviously need, I think it’s so important for the regeneration of these destinations that they soon see some smiling faces and some people ready to pump some money into their economy. I also think the recent events are now an important part of each country’s history, so this is something we must remember, rather than block out like it never happened. If we can reach out to our fellow people in hard times like these then I really think that something positive has come from all the recent devastation around the world.

Photo credits – Thanks to PhillipC and Shutr (Attribution License)

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