CRISIS RECOVERY..NOT A SEXY, BUT A CRITICAL TOPIC AT THE BEST EDUCATION NETWORK THINK TANK V "MANAGING RISK AND CRISIS FOR SUSTAINABLE TOURISM RESEARCH AND INNOVATION ". KINGSTON, JAMAICA

Crisis recovery was the focus of Dr. David Beirman's presentation "Marketing Tourism Destinations from Crisis to Recovery: A Strategic Marketing Approach" on the second day of the BEST THINK TANK V at the University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica. Dr. Beirman, the founding Director of the Israel Tourism Office Australia and the South Pacific, reviewed issues and challenges to the tourism industry of which media coverage, security, risk assessment, government travel advisories and the perception of safety where prominent.

"Tourism crisis creates the challenge of crisis recovery" Dr Beirman stated, speaking on the challenges to tourism destinations recovering from crisis. "We can get the media to cover crisis but recovery has very little sex appeal." Media mogul Rupert Murdock, in an interview with Beirman, was asked to identify the key topics that capture the media's attention. "Crime, corruption, conflict... topped the list of issues that make news" was Murdock's response. "Negativity makes much better news that positivity" concluded Beirman. "The struggle that we have is to make recovery into a news item."

On the issue of security Beirman noted that "new threats require a new approach to security." Tourism/travel security traditionally focused on airports and airlines. Security preparedness and consciousness is an integral element to tourism planning. The Bali bombing was an attack against tourists in a nightclub, not in an airport. "New threats surround the issue of piracy. Cruise companies need to be prepared for piracy turning into terrorist attacks. The Cruise industry needs to upscale their preparedness in this area." stated Beirman.

"If we don't take out travel insurance we're crazy." commented Beirman on the subject of travel insurance. He stressed that consumers needs to be aware of a general exemption in travel insurance policies that does not cover politically motivated violence. The Bali bombing caused a consumer and media attack on the insurance industry resulting in each terrorist incidence now being looked at individually by travel insurance companies.

Government travel advisories.. are they accurate risk indicators or crisis creators? Beirman noted that "the functions of government travel advisories are first to protect citizens as an extraterritorial security measure. Governments also want to be proactive in certain regions, often overstating dangers." The outcome of such overstating was evidenced in Kenya in April 2003 when the U.S. issued strong travel advisories against Kenya and the British government banned travel to Kenya for U.K. citizens. The travel industry is the number one industry in Kenya. "We got all of the Ambassadors to Kenya together with the security interests in Kenya," noted Beirman, "and mapped out an agreement stating the needs of countries for their citizens that allowed Great Britain and Germany to reduce travel advisory warnings to Kenya."

"Crisis is very largely about perception" commented Beirman. "The challenge to the tourism industry is to ensure that you have the tools and the strategy to challenge and overcome false and negative perceptions. South Africa has the highest crime rate in the world. South Africa experiences increasing tourism arrivals due to their positive emphasis on their good aspects for tourism, admitting the problem areas and advising tourists as to how to avoid risk. South African tourism is addressing and changing perceptions.

Perception is about confidence building. "Put crisis in context. In Israel, it is important to let people know where the safe areas are to go to. Not all of Israel is under threat" stated Beirman. "Jamaica doesn't have to worry about snow storms. The obvious contingencies are to counter the perception of crime affecting tourists, unsafe driving or of tourists being hassled. I have been hassled very little since I have been here; the drivers are no worse that those in 55 other places that I have been to and no crime has been committed against me. The obvious contingencies for Jamaica are severe weather and possibly political unrest and associated terrorism. In terms of crisis recovery marketing, identify what the most likely events are that will affect tourism and prioritize."

Dr. David Beirman is an internationally recognized expert on tourism marketing, and the author of Restoring Tourism Destinations in Crisis. Beirman frequently consults to governments, universities and the media on the issues surrounding managing and marketing crisis.

The objective of the BEST Education Network THINK TANK V is to bring together researchers from around the world to discuss and invite new avenues of research in the timely issues of “Managing Risk and Crisis for Sustainable Tourism Research and Innovation”. The conference extends from June 17 to 20, 2005 and is hosted by the Institute of Hospitality and Tourism at the University of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica.