Risk & Crisis Management in Tourism Sector:
Recovery from Crisis
in the OIC Member Countries
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and with the government’s own stance. For instance, there is no point in a hotel which
is undamaged by the disruptive event continuing to promote itself to tourists if the
surrounding area has essentially been destroyed. In other cases, destination
stakeholders may be quickly able to repair the damage and continue to offer tourists a
good experience.
 The lead government agency should design consistent, accurate messages for
dissemination through all media channels. The effectiveness of messages in this phase
will depend partly on the nature of the crisis and partly on the underlying resilience of
the tourism system. As stated earlier, to a great extent this depends on actions and
relationships built up during the pre-crisis or ‘Conservation’ phase.
 The government should review its taxation policy: are there incentives, subsidies, tax
holidays or grant schemes which can quickly be legislated for to support the private
sector in reducing its costs? This will allow businesses to reduce package prices and
make special offers such as ‘3 weeks for the price of 2’ or accommodation upgrades.
 Messages regarding changes to fiscal or other regulations can be most effectively
disseminated through trade associations. For instance, the Tourism Business Council of
South Africa is the chief intermediary between the Ministry of Tourism and South
African Tourism and individual businesses.
6.3.5. Recovery Phase – Mid-term
In this phase the public sector should put in place more detailed responses to the crisis. Measures
may include:
 Legislation to encourage overseas investment in building or upgrading tourism
facilities, as in Sri Lanka after the end of the long-running civil conflict in 2009.
 Increased security in public places and behind the scenes both to try and prevent
terrorist attacks and reassure the public that everything is being done to ensure their
safety, as in the UK after the terrorist attack on concert-goers in Manchester in 2017.
 Thorough training of in-country security services tasked with responding to terrorism
threats. For instance in the aftermath of the killing of 38 tourists on a Tunisian beach in
2015, a particularly damaging news report was that Tunisian security officers had
wasted time in reaching the location after they were aware of the attack (The Telegraph,
2017).
 Financial support to businesses (for example low-cost loans) to help them repair
damage and upgrade their facilities.