News media coverage of hurricane events and Caribbean tourism: a critical analysis of the last 40 years

When making travel decisions, the news is a key source of weather information for tourists, particularly when there is a perceived risk of holiday disruption. Misrepresentation and sensationalist media coverage have been attributed to amplifying perceptions of climatic risk amongst the public. As the most tourism-reliant region in the world, how the media constructs and communicates hurricane events in the Caribbean can influence tourism demand, with implications for millions who rely on the sector for their livelihoods. Through a content analysis of global news articles published over the last 40 years (n = 635), this paper examines the attribute agenda setting and framing of hurricanes and Caribbean tourism. Over 60% of the articles omitted critical information (e.g., hurricane path, location of strike, category), with 11 of the 13 attributes negative in tone (i.e., risk amplifying). Four frames (victim, apocalyptic, disruptive, and business-as-usual) were identified, with most articles (66%) framing tourists and their vacation experiences as inevitable casualties of a hurricane event. The findings can aid regional stakeholder decisions on communication and marketing strategies during and following hurricane events to minimize negative impacts on tourism demand, particularly in unaffected destinations.