Step 1 - Know your Risk

Every tourism business faces unique disaster risks. Some hazards, like cyclones, floods or bushfires, are tied to your location, while others – such as pandemics or heatwaves – can affect anyone, anywhere. Understanding your specific risks is the first step in protecting your staff, your visitors, and your business operations.

Your first step is to find out what disasters are most likely to occur in your region, when they could happen, how severe they might be, and how they could affect your business and visitors.

Whether you’ve been operating in Queensland for decades, are new to the region, or welcome guests travelling through the State, it’s simple to identify your disaster risks. Use the link below to explore your risks, then take time to discuss what you’ve found with your team so you can plan ahead together.

Step 2 - Make a Practical Plan

Make sure your business is ready for natural disasters with a disaster plan that helps minimise financial damage and outlines continuity.

Business continuity planning provides a framework to help you consider risks, what is needed to be operational post-disaster, develop your response to a disaster and to organise adequate insurance.

Business continuity planning involves developing a practical plan for how your business can prepare for, and continue to operate after an incident or crisis. A business continuity plan will help you to:

• identify and prevent risks where possible
• prepare for risks that you can't control; and
• respond and recover if an incident or crisis occurs.

View the following video from Business Queensland to find out more.

Find out more:
Watch this video “Prepare Your Business for Storm Season”  https://youtu.be/SQmFZ3Z_RwY
https://www.business.qld.gov.au/running-business/risk/continuity-plan

Step 3 - Pack a Kit

If a natural disaster strikes and you need to evacuate, having an emergency kit can help keep your business running in another location. Keep your emergency kit where you can quickly and easily retrieve it. Record in your business's emergency plan the contents of your emergency kit and ensure someone is responsible for keeping your kit up to date.

You also may be isolated in your business location and you may be without power or telecommunications. It is essential you have an emergency kit with enough food, water and essentials for yourself and your team to last for a week or so.

Step 4 - Support Your Team

Your staff are the backbone of your tourism business – and helping them to be personally prepared for disasters is one of the best ways to strengthen both their wellbeing and your business resilience. When your team has a household emergency plan in place, they can recover faster and focus more confidently on their roles, even during challenging times.

Get Ready Queensland has developed a simple online tool to make this easier. Using local risk data and practical resources, it guides individuals through a short series of questions to create a tailored household emergency plan. The plan is stored securely on their device, can be downloaded as a PDF, and is easy to share with family members.

By encouraging your team to use this tool, you’re showing genuine care for their safety and that of their loved ones. At the same time, you’ll benefit from reduced workplace disruption and a stronger, more resilient operation when disaster strikes.

We are aware that many tourism operators are small and microbusinesses where home and work is closely intertwined. If you are in this situation make sure you are prepared by making your household emergency plan.

Visitor Safety

Queensland's world-class landscapes and tourism experiences make it a great place to visit. However, due to our unique climate and environment, Queensland can experience extreme weather events and natural disasters and it’s important to inform tourists on how to prepare and stay safe.

Get Ready Queensland has developed a Visitors Safety Tips Portal that you can reference and provide to your visitors/customers to ensure they know what to do in the case of severe weather.

https://www.getready.qld.gov.au/visitor-safety-tips

Support During and After Natural Disasters

The Queensland Government provides support to small businesses before, during and after a disaster.

Queensland Government – Support During Natural Disasters - Natural disaster support for your business | Business Queensland

Queensland Government Tourism Recovery Officers - Disaster support and assistance for tourism businesses | Business Queensland