Tourism & More

Tourism and Pandemics

June 2006

The recent outbreaks of Avian (Bird) Flu in various nations around the world have caught the tourism industry’s attention. While there is certainly no reason for anyone to go into a panic mode, and there is a good possibility that there the feared human-to-human outbreak may never occur, it still behooves the tourism industry to use this as an opportunity to be prepared. Although the avian flu has been reported in the Middle East, Europe and even North America the worst outbreaks so far have been in SE Asia and Eastern Europe or Eurasia.. Despite the great amount of publicity given to Avian Flu, it is important to note that as of this writing there have been less than 200 humans so far who have contracted the disease.

The recent SARS panic caused far fewer deaths than did traffic accidents in the impacted places, but the panic that SARS caused created economic havoc. Tourism Tidbits wants to emphasize that the information given below is not meant to take the place or medical information. The author does not claim to be a doctor and this issue is meant purely to raise questions and provide food for thought. In reality no one knows what would happen should there be such a pandemic, thus the scenarios given below are of a conjectural or theoretical nature. Having stated the above, many scientists believe that western society is long overdue for another major pandemic. Today’s world may even be more vulnerable than the early 20th century world for any number of reasons. For example, the tourism industry has created a highly mobile and global society. In today’s world, travelers arrive from many nations. Local quarantines no longer have the strength that they once might have had. Information is also now given on a worldwide level. The good thing about the information age is that knowledge about a situation can be learned almost instantaneously. The negative side of the information age is that we are now more open to world panics and rumors. This is especially true as currently there is no vaccine against Avian Flu.

To start you thinking about a possible health crisis and its impact on tourism, Tourism Tidbits raises the following points. Remember that tourists panic easily and even a single illness can cause a tourism crisis.

• As of the writing of this piece there have been no cases of human-to-human contamination. People who have gotten Avian flu have done so due to close contact with poultry or having eaten undercooked contaminated poultry. It is therefore essential that people in the tourism industry emphasize the importance of food safety within their restaurants and hotels. It is essential that food preparation items such as knives be carefully washed between usings.
• Know that tourism is highly vulnerable to panic situation. The days after 9-11 ought to have re-taught the tourism industry that for most people travel is a leisure purchase based on want rather than need. If travelers become afraid they may simply cancel their trips. In such cases, there may be massive layoffs of tourism workers whose jobs suddenly disappear.
• Be prepared to take care of sick employees and their families. The people staffing the tourism industry are also human. That means that their families and they are also susceptible to illnesses. Should large numbers of staff (or their families) become sick, hotels and restaurants may have to close simply due to manpower shortages. Tourism industry people need to be developing plans on how they will maintain their industry while suffering from manpower shortages.
• Visitors who fall ill may not know how to contact local medical authorities or even speak the language of the local doctors. Another problem to be considered is how the tourism industry will aid people who fall sick while on vacation. Medical notices will need to be distributed in multiple languages, people will need ways to communicate to loved ones and to describe symptoms to medical personnel in their own language.
• Be prepared to fight Avian flu not only from the medical perspective but also from the marketing/information perspective. Because the public may well panic it is important that the tourism industry be prepared to offer concrete and credible information. This information should be given to the public almost immediately. Every tourism office should have an information plan ready should a pandemic occur in its area. Develop creative websites so that people can gain information any time of the day and without regards to where they may be located.
• Be prepared for the the Avian flu (or other pandemic) to cause a turndown in the entire tourism industry regardless of where the flu’s outbreak may occur. In a sense tourism is a highly interlocked industry. A panic in one place may cause travelers to fear all forms of travel. This fear may especially be true if the pandemic centers around transportation arteries or public transportation vehicles such as airlines, cruiselines, or trains.
• Always counter negative publicity with an action program. For example in areas that have been impacted by a disease make sure to advise travelers to stay current with their vaccinations and create medical information sheets. It is essential that the public knows where to go for information and what is real versus what is rumor. For travelers who may not be up-to-date with current shots, offer lists of doctors and clinics willing to accept traveler’s insurance.
• Update your first aid kit at hotels and other places of lodging. Make sure that their employees use anti bacterial hand wipes and encourage hotels to provide these for travelers.
• Work with travel insurance companies. In case of a pandemic travelers may not receive value for money and may desire to either cancel a trip or cut it short. The best way to maintain good will is by working with such organizations as the United States Travel Industry Association (in Canada it is called Travel and Health Industry Association of Canada). Develop travel health programs with these organizations so that visitors feel financially protected.
• Work with the media. A pandemic is like any other tourism crisis and should be treated as such. Prepare for it before it strikes, if it should occur set your action plan in place and make sure that you work with the media, and finally have a recovery plan set so that once the crisis has abated you can begin a financial recovery program.