Crisis Communication Management in Tourism Sector

Crises are very common in tourism, as this industry is highly dynamic and full of challenges. A crisis is a condition where there is a threat of one’s wealth that is often unpredictable, and if not managed properly can negatively impact an organization, industry, or stakeholders. It might disrupt activities within the interconnected tourism ecosystem, and even can impact the government and managers if not priorly anticipated.

Based on its characteristics, crises in tourism can be categorized into two categories, which are: 1) Organization’s reputation crisis, as an impact of policy or management error of the institutions, and 2) ecosystem crisis, which is due to external factors, such as natural or non-natural disasters. Both conditions are interconnected.

Its vulnerability to crises makes tourism closely affected to public perception.Tourism sector is very fragile to people’s perceptions that might be influenced by subjective perceptions of events or observations. Tourists choose to visit a destination based on the reviews they received. At the same time, they seek information about accessibility, attractions, safety, facilities, and other factors that may enhance their travelling experience. 

As crises occur, strategic management is very important and should be implemented appropriately based on the severity of the situation. An effective crisis communication strategy can serve as an initial response to prevent the crisis from escalating and broadening. Crisis communication can be defined as the process of collecting, processing, and disseminating necessary information or messages to handle a crisis situation. Persuasive and informative information is needed to prevent, control, and manage damage from high-risk, threatening, and uncertain crisis conditions (Seeger & Sellnow, 2019). The steps of the crisis communication approach can be divided into three stages: pre-crisis, crisis response, and post-crisis.

First, the pre-crisis stage, which focuses on steps for risk anticipation or reduction, such as mitigation and preparedness. Pre-crisis communication focuses on preparing training for those involved, identifying crisis risks, considering communication methods, and decision-making processes.

Second, the crisis response stage, as an immediate approach done as the crisis occurs. This stage is crucial because it has significant effects or impacts, such as the number of victims, damage to tourism destinations, and damage to the reputation of the government and managers. Crisis response emphasizes speed, accuracy, and consistency to meet the information needs immediately after the crisis. 

Finally, the post-crisis stage, which recognizes when the crisis is declared over. The crisis communication strategies at this stage focus on managing the effects of the crisis and restoring the reputation. Information during the post-crisis period is needed by tourists, tourism actors, and the tourism industry who want to know that the situation has returned to normal. 

The implementation of crisis communication strategies in the tourism sector is a dynamic process. It requires precision, evaluation, and experience in understanding the potential and impact of crises as a learning process for the future.