Industry prepares for times of crisis

Industry prepares for times of crisis
By Anne Majumdar


With safety a growing concern for travellers, the time is right to ensure the industry is well equipped to cope in times of crisis, according to the Council of Australian Tour Operators.

A recent report by the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council’s GeoBranding Centre and AIG Travel revealed that one in four travellers changed their plans in the last year as a result of concerns over safety.

Of those, 83% said that potential terrorist activity was their primary reason to avoid travel to certain destinations while 49% were wary of military conflict or fighting. Political upheaval was the main concern for 33% of those who cancelled plans while the outbreak of disease was top of mind for 31%.

As a result, CATO has released details of a new Crisis Management Forum which will take place on Tuesday March 15 in Sydney, offering practical information and details on the world’s best practice on crisis management.

Speaking to Travel Weekly, CATO general manager Peter Baily said the event is already seeing a lot of interest from a number of areas including from those who are not CATO members. He described as a “must-attend event” for all tour operators, wholesalers and travel agencies who escort their own groups.

“It’s a CATO initiative but we have opened it up to the entire industry,” he said. “The objective is to make people aware of how to act and be ready for any crises if and should they arise.”

Baily highlighted the range of speakers who will be offering their expertise on the day. These range from representatives from Sydney Airport and Qantas Covermore Insurance and the Pacific Asia Travel Association.

“People are wanting to know as much information as they can so they can be prepared for any eventuality,” he said.

It is the first in a series of open forums that CATO will hold over the coming months.

For further details and bookings, contact  Peter Baily on pahbaily@bigpond.net.au or call 0423 261875.

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