Risk & Crisis Management in Tourism Sector:
Recovery from Crisis
in the OIC Member Countries
50
Table 2.2: Test Messages Aimed at Revitalising Tourism to Bushfire Affected Area of Australia
Theme Message
Open and ready for
business
Gippsland, open and ready for business—come, be inspired!
Solidarity/empathy
with local people
Gippsland needs you now more than ever, come and visit, support our
tourism industry and let us inspire you.
Community readiness
to welcome visitors
Gippsland, ready to inspire you ….
…. we wouldn’t invite you if we weren’t ready.
Restore confidence
and change
misperceptions
Less than 5% of Gippsland was affected by the Victorian bushfires. In fact,
some of our most inspiring national parks and destinations remain
untouched. All our roads are open and for 99% of our operators it’s business
as usual.
Curiosity
enhancement
Gippsland’s stunning natural attractions are regenerating faster than ever,
visit now and be inspired by the fascinating landscape mosaic of fire recovery
mixed with the usual Gippsland splendor . . . don’t miss this opportunity to
experience the resilience of nature.
Short-term discounts/
price reductions
Visit our website now to take advantage of our special promotional offers and
save up to 50% on accommodation, attractions, and food and wine produce.
Find a variety of inspiring packages starting from just $200 per couple.
Visitor testimonials “. . . if you want a peaceful country or coastal break at one of our most
precious destinations, now is the time to go. . . .”
Festivals and events Our events calendar is full of fantastic reasons why you should let yourself be
inspired by Gippsland this February. Whether you’re a race goer, a music
lover, or a fan of fiery foods, we have it all going on in Gippsland this summer.
Celebrity
endorsement
“I’m a great fan of Gippsland and I was so saddened by the news of the
bushfires in the region. However, having just spent a number of weeks
traveling throughout Gippsland I was surprised to see that many of its
fascinating landscapes remain relatively untouched and it’s pretty much
business as usual as far as the tourism industry goes. I strongly urge the
Victorian people to come and see for themselves just how resilient
Gippsland’s wondrous natural landscape is. . . .” Denise Drysdale
Source: Walters and Mair (2012)
It was found that messages endorsed by a celebrity or other high-profile person were the most
effective at winning people back, and it was also effective to target people who had visited the area
previously. The short-termdiscountingmessages were the least likely to stimulate a visit, while the
‘open for business’ message was found not to be particularly credible and therefore ineffectual.
Chacko and Marcell (2007) reported on how the city of NewOrleans, in the USA, rebuilt its tourism
image after Hurricane Katrina in 2006 caused widespread flooding and damage, leading to the
public perception that New Orleans was no longer a viable tourism destination. Prior to this it had
been popular with both international and domestic tourists because of its cultural heritage, unique
gastronomy and its local art, music and festivals; it received around 10 million tourists per year. It
was calculated that after the hurricane, the city was foregoing over US$ 15 million per day in lost
tourism revenues. To counteract negative publicity, the authorities developed a repositioning
strategy. They established the New Orleans Media Center to focus media coverage on the
undamaged areas of the city and targeted previous visitors, using the campaign slogan “Come fall