Caribbean Region Egged On to Plan for Crisis Times

In a spirited discussion on the importance of creating and executing crisis communications plans for the tourism industry, former anchor of CNN´s news desk, Andria Hall led international experts in an interactive and educational “Master Class” at the 28th Caribbean Tourism Conference in St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands.

The panel, which included Andy Cooper, CEO of Federation of Tour Operators in the UK, Barry Pitegoff, Vice President of Research for Visit Florida, and Alan Parker, Deputy Managing Editor of the Toronto Sun, called for clear and concise plans in responding to crises, whether natural disasters, such as hurricanes, or others, such as crime or strikes, or even a government probe.

Experts called on delegates to build strong relationships with regional and international media before disaster strikes.

Developing an open and honest relationship with the media and communicating in the spirit of truth were important, they agreed.

“Crises are inevitable and you have to be prepared. Crisis communication is preparing for the inevitable rather than reacting to the inevitable,” said Hall, “whether you are a hotelier, cruise line operator or housekeeper, you need to understand that whenever troubles comes there is a way to effectively manage it so that you can minimize damage and maximize results.”

The panel of experts offered more than advice; they gave delegates resources and information on the kind of message to communicate depending on the situation, the parties affected and the publics they are addressing, taking into consideration media biases.