Asia-Pacific Tourism Risk Management Report to Provide Guidance in Preparing for Tourism Crises
The "Tourism Risk Management for the Asia Pacific Region" report has been completed and will be presented to officials from APEC's 21 Member Economies at the 23rd meeting of the Tourism Working Group (TWG) in Bali, Indonesia, on November 29-30.
Developed in response to the damaging effect on the tourism industry of terrorist attacks and the SARS epidemic, the report details key issues and provides recommendations for both government and business to effectively deal with future crises.
This is the first time that Risk Management principles have been applied to the Tourism Industry in such a detailed report.
The report has been prepared by the APEC International Centre for Sustainable Tourism (AICST) in collaboration with universities, governments and tourism operators in the APEC Region.
AICST Chair, Sir Frank Moore, said the report covers a number of potential future crises and uses case studies to draw on the experience of past crises.
"This AICST report offers a broad coverage of risks related to tourism in the Asia Pacific region and strategic approaches to managing these risks," Sir Frank said.
"Adequate planning for what has in the past been seen as the 'unexpected' can be the difference between a well-managed problem and a human and economic disaster.
"The report outlines a series of key tourism themes and recommends actions that should be taken before, during and after a crisis.
"There have already been a number of unfortunate incidents that have occurred in the region and it is important to learn from these experiences.
"These include events such as the Bali bombing and other events such as the SARS Epidemic.
"Crises covered in the report range from terrorist attacks to natural disasters such as earth quakes, to disease epidemics."
Sir Frank said the report also focuses on governments and tourism operators providing timely and accurate information in times of crisis.
"The public is not well served by incorrect information and rumors being reported in the media," Sir Frank said.
"It is essential that the governments and tourist businesses have effective communications strategies in place to actively engage with the media in times of crisis."
After the report has been presented to APEC Member Economy Officials, a press conference will be held in Bali (at a time to be advised).
AICST was established in 2002 by the APEC Tourism Working Group and the Tourism Ministers of the 21 economies of APEC. Its role is to identify and research the major issues that are likely to impact on tourism in the Asia Pacific region in the next 10-15 years. AICST is a cooperative organization of APEC Economies, Universities, and the Tourism Industry.
The Tourism Working Group Meeting will be held in Bali, Indonesia, on November 29 and 30.