Risk & Crisis Management in Tourism Sector:
Recovery from Crisis
in the OIC Member Countries
145
 The next priority is to contact any customers that have booked holidays and advise them
of the situation and its effects on the business. If the business is not directly affected, if
staff can still get to work, and if the infrastructure, supply chain and other attractions
are still operational, it may be possible to persuade people to continue with their holiday
as planned – perhaps through offering a ‘free’ accommodation upgrade. If there is too
much damage or if customers are too nervous to travel, they should immediately be
offered a refund or an alternative holiday at a later stage.
 Being proactive in this way will reassure customers that the company is prioritising
their needs (rather than its own profits) andmake it more likely that people will re-book
at a later stage – and that they will publicly praise the company’s positive response. For
instance, after the 2004 tsunami, UK-based mobile phone companies waived charges
incurred by users in affected countries even if they were not directly involved in the
disaster, as they recognised that individuals were calling home to reassure their friends
and families. This created considerable goodwill for the companies concerned.
 After ensuring customer safety, managers should assess any infrastructural damage to
the business (for example in the case of floods) and, as far as possible, carry out essential
repairs and maintenance. Sometimes infrastructural damage may be too severe to
repair quickly (e.g. if affected by severe flooding, cyclones, earthquakes or rioting) or it
will be necessary to wait for insurance company loss adjusters to assess the damage
before repairs can be effected.
 If the enterprise has to close, customers could be recommended to another company
under the same ownership but in a different area which is unaffected by the crisis, or to
another local hotel or tour operator – it is better for a competitor in the same region to
gain the customers than to lose them altogether.
 Businesses should maintain a database of advance bookings so that people can be
contacted quickly in the event of an emergency, bearing in mind that if customers live
some distance away or in another country, the first they hear of the incident may via this
contact. This is an opportunity establish a goodwill relationship with customers, as they
will appreciate the early advice – and, as stated above, they can be given a choice of
alternatives.
 The same applies to people who may be part-way through a holiday: a disaster or crisis
may cause disruption to transportation or other services, and customers need to be
informed in a straightforward way and reassured that everything possible is being done
to ensure alternative arrangements or – if the crisis is severe – that arrangements are
being made for their safe return home.
 It is essential that staff members making the phone calls are well informed and
confident, as this will inspire confidence in the customer.