Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
E
GLOBAL INSIGHT
E
Security
T
o meet the needs of today's world, it is essential that
professionals, law enforcement, the political establishment,
and the tourism industry. Remember that a poorly trained
police force can almost overnight destroy a well-thought-out
marketing program.
tourism planners and managers put the safety and security
factor into their designs and tourism development plans. Here,
Dr. Peter E. Tarlow, president of Tourism and More, author of
''Tourism Tidbits'' and the topic Event Risk Management and
Safety, and world-renowned travel safety and security expert,
shares a few tidbits of advice that he has communicated to
planners around the world.
6. Be current.
What reality dictated two or three months ago
might not be true tomorrow. Good security means taking the
time to reassess situations and to change policies based on
the latest data.
7. Have a recovery plan.
Although the best form of good
crisis management is good risk management, crises and
tragedies will occur. Furthermore, in an age of terrorism, an
event in one part of the world can impact many other parts of
the world. That means that in a worldwide industry, such as
tourism, individual companies and even countries often are
not totally in control of their destinies. Because it is
impossible to tell when the next ''event'' may strike, tourism
professionals must have a full list of contingency plans
available. While these plans should not be written in stone, it
is always easier to change a plan than it is to write a plan
during an emergency.
1.
It is only ten years since September 11, 2001.
Too
many travel professionals function, however, as if that day
were a one-time event or had never occurred. It is foolish to
believe that the emotional scars of terrorism have healed.
Furthermore, terrorism is more of a chronic disease than a
war. It is a disease that at times may go into remission, but it
is not going away. The tourism industry will continue to be
one of its prime targets.
2. Do not expect 100 percent security/safety.
Security and
safety are goals but never total realities. All too many of us
have come to believe that our governments can handle every
eventuality; they cannot. Instead, the tourism industry must
do its best to provide realistic assessments of each situation.
8. The best security comes from places with good
service.
If your employees do not care about good service,
then they are indicating that they do not care about the
welfare of their guests. Up the level of your service and make
it fun. Travel for many people simply is not fun anymore. The
word travel is derived from the French word travil, meaning
''work.'' The more work travel becomes, the less people are
going to want to travel. Long airport lines, the need to
remove articles of clothing, the tearing apart of briefcases
and suitcases, delayed planes, and no food or currently no
liquids makes travel (especially air travel) much more of a
hassle than a pleasure. Help your customer and guests to
recover through extra thoughtful service. Encourage hotels to
develop ''stress-down'' meals, to provide extras from a smile
to special bathroom sundries. Encourage attractions to have
special ''thanks for traveling'' days. In other words, do
everything possible to put the fun back in travel. The bottom
line is that during times of stress people need our smiles.
3. Pay your security people top dollar.
In the twentieth
century, tourism professionals tended to see security as an
add-on, or a required extra. In the twenty-first century, tourism
security has become a major marketing tool. Customers want
to see security and they want to know that those who are
providing security are well-trained professionals. This
professionalization of the profession comes about through
good training, good wages, and strict standards. For example
those communities who have ''Tourism-Oriented Policing
Services units'' (TOPS) are going to be well ahead of their
competition in attracting meetings and conventions.
4. Do a tourism security inventory.
Know what are your
security strengths and weaknesses. For example, a good
community security inventory examines everything from airport
safety to who has access to a guest's room. Such an inventory
should look not only at issues of terrorism but also at issues of
crime, and how these crimes can be prevented. Furthermore,
examine your personnel strengths and liabilities as well as your
equipment and physical strengths and weaknesses.
Dr. Peter Tarlow can be reached by e-mail at tourism@bihs.net.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
5. Do not only focus on terrorism.
Terrorism today is a hot
topic, but there is a higher probability that visitors will be
touched by an act of crime than by an act of terrorism. Know
which crimes are most likely to impact visitors to your
community. Then develop a plan that coordinates security
1.
What is a tourism security inventory?
2.
How important is it for tourism enterprises to work with local
police and fire departments?
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