CTC-28 to Deliver Class on Crisis, Disaster Communications

A class in crisis communications for the tourism industry will be one of the highlights at the 28th annual Caribbean Tourism Conference (CTC-28) at Frenchman´s Reef & Morning Star Marriott Beach Resort in St. Thomas from October 21 to 26, sponsored by the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO).

Barry Pitegoff, vice president of research for Visit Florida, will focus on how to use research to craft a credible message following a crisis.

“Florida and the Caribbean have a lot in common and we face some of the same challenges when it comes to disasters,” Mr. Pitegoff said.

His class will focus on these challenges and the process of figuring out what to say, to whom and when following a crisis.

“The market needs an honest and credible knowledge of the rate at which the product is coming back and how good the product really is,” Mr. Pitegoff said. “There is a real need to assuage the worries and concerns of different groups, including consumers.”

Mr. Pitegoff, who has directed the research program for Florida´s tourism for 25 years, led the research that determined Visit Florida´s message in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks in the U.S. and after the four hurricanes that hit Florida last year.

Mr. Pitegoff´s class on crisis communications will examine some of the crises that the Caribbean has faced in recent years, including natural disasters and crime and how the communication was handled. The class also will examine why the media seem obsessed with certain events.

“This class is an opportunity for delegates to gain insight into this critical aspect of tourism communications,” said Hugh Riley, CTO´s marketing director for the Americas. “How we respond to crisis situations is critical in having the world continue to view the Caribbean as a place to come and vacation. It is essential to communicate the message correctly.”