From the Ashes: How Tourism Became the Phoenix of Disaster Recovery A Case Study from Mount Merapi, Indonesia

Abstract

This is a case study based on Mount Merapi, located on the border of both Central Java, and the Special Region of Yogyakarta, on Java, Indonesia. Merapi is one of the most active volcanoes in the world and in October of 2010, it begun one of its most eruptive sequences to date. Over 350 fatalities ensued and the destruction of hectares of agricultural lands, including thousands of homes. Due to the embedded cultural ideology of the communities in the Merapi region, a sense of unity and togetherness exuded across village borders, displaying community cohesion and social capital that laid the foundation for a synergized road to recovery. Tourism became a lifeline, propping up local communities supporting the transition from disaster to recovery. Tourism affected every aspect of residents' lives, working to fill the gaps left by traditional methods of disaster recovery. This study analyzes the resurgence of an innovative tourism industry in a post- disaster setting on Mount Merapi, Indonesia and the social/cultural capital and community cohesion that led to its success.