The COVID-19 pandemic and the numerous climate crises have taught us that unexpected crises are always a possibility. Natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes occur, people get sick, a crime happens, or a terrorist attack occurs.
Often these crises occur in the most unlikely places and come at the least expected times. As a result, it is essential to have a tourism continuity plan in place. Because no two tourism destinations or attractions are entirely alike, a good continuity plan should be tailored to each one. Do not simply use someone else’s or a boilerplate plan. What may work in one location may not work in another location. Understanding this need for individualization, please consider the following ideas:
-Tourism is about being caring and concerned. Therefore, any tourism continuity plan must put people first. If your plan focuses solely on keeping your business going without considering both the business’s needs and your visitors’ needs, then the plan will be only half complete.
-Have a written continuity plan that is understandable to others. Many managers assume that they will be the ones to hold their business or tourism locale together in case of a crisis. The problem is that managers and tourism executives are also people, so unexpected bad things can happen to them as well. Write out as much as possible and ensure that you leave the plan in an easily accessible location. Ensure that you communicate to your staff that the plan exists, where it can be found, and how to access it.
Especially in smaller communities, review your plan with your insurance agent, local police department, medical professionals, and other relevant local service providers. There may be a wide range of insurance options available to ensure continuity at a very low cost. While an insurance policy cannot provide 100% protection, having the right insurance may mean the difference between continuity and bankruptcy. Having a good relationship with local service providers can mean the difference between a business’s survival and bankruptcy.
Update your continuity plan regularly. No matter how good your continuity plan may be, as soon as you have written it, assume that it is already outdated. Tourism is one of the least static businesses; it is always in a constant state of change. This means that your business continuity plan must be regularly examined and kept up to date as much as possible.
-Be creative in writing your continuity plan. Ensure that you consider not only the various potential issues that could arise, but also remember that in tourism, you will need to maintain your sense of hospitality both during and after the crisis. Thus, you will need to consider not only your internal communications system, but also how your guests will communicate with their friends and relatives during the crisis. Ask yourself such questions as how you will feed people, what special needs visitors will have, and how you may have to communicate with foreign tourists who don’t speak the native language.
-Remember that tourism is as much about perceptions as facts. That means that as part of your continuity plan, you must have a media information plan. The media can paint a story with a positive or negative spin. Should the press portray your locale in a negative light, they can make your business recovery much more difficult. To guard against that potential, incorporate your guests into the continuity plan so that they become your allies rather than your foes.
Determine where your business or community’s weak points are and be prepared to address these issues before they arise. Every locale or business has weak points. It may be that the road network is inadequate, the airport is close to the sea and therefore vulnerable to flooding or a security breach, or that hotel food services are not up to par, or that there is insufficient medical attention in the community. Identify these weak points and consider how you will respond in the event of a disaster.
-Make sure everyone knows what their role is. A crisis is not the time to hold philosophical discussions; there needs to be one person in charge who gives the orders and has an overall view of the situation. Before developing a continuity plan, players should be invited to speak their minds, but once the plan needs to go into action, second-guessing becomes counterproductive.
-Understand the importance of “redundancy”. Redundancy involves having multiple plans in place so that if, for some reason, one backup system fails, there is a second one to take its place. Redundancy systems not only work as an insurance policy but also help to lower the chances of fear and panic. Not all participants in a continuity plan may be able to perform, for various reasons. Therefore, protect the plan by creating player redundancies, so that if one person cannot assume the responsibility, there is a backup person to take over their responsibilities.
-When bad things happen, our guests need to know that the local authorities are in control, have a plan, and have taken the time to care not only about property and profits but also about them. Take the time to think about your worst-case scenarios. If you could not operate your business, how long would you survive? What financial obligations will you have to meet, even if no one walks through the door or comes to visit your community? What would you do if your employees fell ill or transportation services to your location were to cease?
Excellent article! It reminded me of a book I read a few years ago on etn, which I had the privilege of reviewing for a Dominican Republic audience. Here’s the link to my review: https://acento.com.do/opinion/turismo-y-crisis-que-hacer-9044820. I highly recommend reading it for anyone interested in deepening this analysis.