Perak State, located in the Northern Corridor of Peninsular Malaysia, offers attractive spots and ecotourism sites for tourists to explore. The state is also campaigning for Visit Perak 2024 to promote tourism as a strategic economic sector that will significantly contribute to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), job creation and foreign exchange earnings. However, Perak has been experiencing devastating flood incidences, including flash floods in the last three years (2020�2022). This article aims to assess the potential impacts of dam-break flood disasters towards the tourism industry in the Hulu Perak district of Perak, with a focus on the socio-economic values. As a methodology, primary and secondary data have been collected from in situ interviews with local authorities, Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) Perak and relevant published annual statistical reports. This study has found that, in the event of a dam break or flood caused by excessive rainfall, the tourism industry and other supporting hospitality industries in Hulu Perak district will be adversely affected by loss of revenues and negative socio-economic implications. In view of these potential hazards, this study has recommended an integrated flood impact analysis to be undertaken at the state level to create a tourist contingency strategy for flood recovery. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023.