Tourism is a fast paced industry and when crises or (negative) events occur, often the industry must scramble to keep natural or man-made challenges under control.  Although the Resilience center encourages the best risk management practices, no one can be prepared for the unexpected, what is often called a “black swan” event. It is for this reason that the Resilience Center has developed a “Rapid Response Team” (RRT) composed of a myriad of professions the RRT can help diagnose a situation and develop a strategic set of priorities that will allow a local industry to get back on its feet as soon as possible. 

We work with eTN Corporation, their publications and extensive global syndicated network on generating and circulating the best message. We do this in combining official press-releases and impact articles.

OBJETIVES

  • Generate a rapid response team that can aid locales when either man-made or natural disaster strike
  • Develop positive media coverage or use media coverage to convey the full story rather than a partial and exaggerated story
  • Find ways to communicate with both media and political powers as to limit damage and then to rebuild a locale
  • Develop lists of granting agencies, medical teams, and media teams to aid in the rebuilding process
  • Develop and tailor training to both confront the crisis and to move beyond the crisis
  • Demonstrate how the recovery can move a locale from reactive to proactive management of its world perceptions and in specific locations

Actions

The RRT will implement some or all of the following actions as determined by the locale’s need to respond.

  1. Define the crisis and then determine which experts will be most helpful in the short term
  2. Develop such a team emphasizing that the RRT is meant to responses that will help the locale with both short and medium term recovery plans
  3. Develop teams that can be on the ground as soon as possible after the event
  4. Creation of a recovery map
  5. Creation of a continuity map and where visitors will be safe to go soon after the event
  6. Create ways to connect with key media outlets as soon as possible
  7. Have a response plan ready for local authorities within 3 months of the event.
  8. Help local authorities find additional funding so as to manage the event and to begin to enter into a recovery phase
  9. Offer suggestions for a long-term recovery including the correct studies as needed and additional training

Time periods

The RRT is designed to be an initial on-the-ground task force.  It is not meant to be in any one place for long periods of time, but rather to stop the “hemorrhaging” and offer the local authorities long-term goals for later implementation. 

The RRT works with local agencies such as hospitals, police, media, and other first responders to develop a rapid line of action that will allow the local tourism industry to recover quickly and with the lease amount of physical and economic pain possible.