Is the Global Tourism Industry prepared to handle the next crisis?

[Anat Regev]

Living in the era of global terrorism, global warming, global epidemics and other rapid changes, a growing number of leading destinations find themselves facing a tourism crisis.

In recent days and weeks, we have witnessed powerful natural events that have caused enormous damage in Tokyo, USA, Hong Kong and the Philippines. The world is also in a very sensitive security state, such as the latest event in London, Germany and France.

In recent years, tourism destinations such as London, Barcelona, Manchester, Paris, Nice, Berlin, Brussels, Istanbul, Stockholm, Sharm El Sheikh, Nairobi, Bombay, and Jerusalem have all witnessed even more significant impacts of terror.

All of the above leads us to the inevitable conclusion that in the contemporary tourism arena, facing a crisis is not a question of "IF?" but a question of "WHEN?" and "how prepared will we be?"

International news channels and social media platforms can turn every incident, small or large scale into full-scale crisis, creating long-term impacts on the destination's image, attractiveness and revenues.

The Israel Ministry of Tourism together with the Jerusalem Development Authority and The Israel Incoming Tour Operators Association have decided to initiate an international Tourism Security Summit that will provide practical knowledge and critical know-how on preparing, mitigating, managing and recovering from tourism crises.

During the summit, 7-9 October, 2018 to take place in Jerusalem the program will focus on the newest and most effective keys to security, crisis management and resilience marketing in the tourism industry. 

The summit will bring marketing experts, leading professionals and senior tourism executives under the same roof for three days of deliberation, analysis and practical insights for managing media during a tourism crisis. The schedule for the summit includes several discussions about global terrorism and its implications on managing crises; tourism-based marketing using social media during a crisis and after it; Rehabilitating and reviving a positive image of tourist destinations and marketing with the focus of bringing back tourism to a place where tragedy has struck; Instructing tourists following a crisis and managing the consequences of a crisis on MICE tourism – As well as an exhibition that will happen in parallel to the summit, it will offer the industry’s professionals a chance to tour Israel and to present new products and services within tourism security, marketing and advertising fields.

http://www.tourismsafety.org