Tourism ports of entry and biosecurity preparedness: lessons learned from Ireland

Abstract

This study provides a unique vista of tourism biosecurity preparedness for a destinations’ tourist ports of entry. Existing tourism biosecurity research deals with organisational resilience and tourists’ biosecurity behaviour, however, has not explicitly examined tourism biosecurity preparedness at global or destinations tourist ports of entry levels. To fill this gap, this research utilises twenty-six tourism biosecurity criteria generated from a systematic international literature review to analyse international biosecurity instruments and Irish tourist ports of entry. A mixed-method approach was utilised through content analysis of international biosecurity instruments and Irish tourist ports of entry. A survey and semi-structured interviews were used to support the findings of the content analysis at Irish tourist ports of entry. Analysis determined the Irish tourist ports of entry sampled were severely lacking any provision for tourism biosecurity preparedness. International biosecurity instruments had a necessary level of biosecurity standards; however, a notable omission of tourism that adversely impacts tourism biosecurity preparedness. This research recommends international biosecurity instruments improve capacities for tourism- specific measures. Tourist ports of entry should integrate specific tourism biosecurity measures into passenger operations to ensure greater destination resilience.