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COVID-19 crisis: Collapse of the tourism sector in Italy

The Security Perception of the main European markets has dropped substantially, while the flight and hotel prices show a lack of demand.

Italy is the most affected Western country by the COVID-19 crisis, with over 3,000 confirmed cases and over 100 deaths as of the 5th of March. This public health crisis is directly affecting the tourism sector, which is facing an unprecedented challenge.

Strategic preparedness and response plan

On 31 December 2019, WHO was alerted to a cluster of pneumonia patients in Wuhan City, Hubei Province of China. One week later, on 7 January 2020, Chinese authorities confirmed that they had identified a novel (new) coronavirus as the cause of the pneumonia (figure 1). The proposed interim name of the virus is 2019‐nCoV.

Since the first cases were reported, WHO and its partners have been working with Chinese authorities and global experts to learn more about the virus, including how it is transmitted, the populations most at risk, the spectrum of clinical disease, and the most effective ways to detect, interrupt, and contain human‐to‐human transmission.

Finding resilience in travel Industry – despite COVID-19

The Global Travel & Tourism Resilience Council has partnered with World Travel Market to provide the travel industry with insights and thought leadership during this time of crisis and uncertainty. Yesterday (March 25), Jamaica’s tourism minister, Edmund Bartlett, spoke via video link to Lee Hayhurst, executive editor of Travolution, the digital travel brand of Jacobs Media Group. Minister Bartlett offered destinations and travel firms guidance for planning how to address the immediate crisis but also how to be ready for the pent‑up demand that will follow and the likely emergence of a different travel industry.

Covid-19 Crisis: Spain’s tourism sector shows signs of downturn in the short term

The rapid increase in the number of people infected by the virus as of March is having an impact on the confidence and demand from the main markets for Spanish destinations.

In just a matter of days, Spain has become the third most affected country in Europe in terms of COVID-19 infections, with over 2,000 confirmed cases. Despite control measures put in place and reassuring messages from the health authorities and tourism sector in the last week of February, the rapid increase in the number of cases has had a clear impact on confidence and demand indicators since the beginning of March.

Economic impact on East and Southern Africa

The rate and global spread of infections by the coronavirus (COVID-19) – and the related sense of panic across a globalized financial, political and social architecture – sets this particular pandemic apart from any other in modern times.

Singapore is getting a lot right in its response to COVID-19 – What can governments and businesses learn from the example?

Covid-19 Trends

Post-pandemic tourism recovery is possible

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism industry was booming,growing globally by 3.5%. Now,with fewer people traveling,  it is facing a loss of $3.4 trillion in global GDP. . Add to this the more frequent and powerful climate disasters ravaging destinations, and the losses mount.

But the industry has an opportunity, despite the grim data. According to Helen Cammerzell, our Senior Project Specialist, tourism leaders have a unique chance to change perceptions of travel.  We encourage everyone to

A time of unparalleled losses, but also opportunity

Though the global travel and tourism industry is trying to return to normalcy, it may never quite look the same. Read here about what Helen believes can kickstart the recovery. Her main takeaways include:

1. Leverage public funding for economic development, disaster mitigation, and recovery.

Governments have an opportunity to rebuild local economies, boost their workforce, and renew infrastructure. Through focused public funding, they can also improve the environmental impact of tourism.

Our recent work in Puerto Rico shows how successful this approach can be. There, we’ve helped the recovery effort in the wake of the devastating hurricanes of 2017. We’ve project-managed a household repair and reconstruction program, and a homeowner relocation. We’ve also supported many infrastructure projects, including road and bridge improvements.

Our work is a compelling example of how a community can rebuild itself — ready to welcome tourists again in a sustainable way — with the right tools and support.

2. Prepare for the next crisis.

Areas such as Puerto Rico and other Caribbean islands are vulnerable to recurring natural disasters, which present a big risk to the growth and stability of tourism. With this threat in mind, public funds can stabilize travel and tourism so that a new economic disaster doesn’t follow each natural one. These investments should pay for community-wide workforce development as well.

Of course, there is a pressing need to move towards greater sustainability and carbon-neutrality through improved infrastructure, alternative energy sources, and better protection of land and resources. As a result, local tourism economies will become more resilient in the face of natural disasters. This, in turn, gives confidence to travelers that their destinations are secure.

Our work with the Belize Tourist Board is an example of how a country can differentiate itself as a tourist destination in the wake of a natural disaster. With our support in creating a new brand strategy, a PR plan, and a social media campaign, Belize’s GDP increased by 3.3%.

Strategies for attracting visitors

Destinations have many ways to to promote themselves. These include highlighting their local stories, via social media.

Technology now allows destinations to promote individuals and communities, reassuring travelers that locales are safe to visit, which is top of mind these days.  Also, with shorter-haul trips more desirable now, the industry has an opportunity to reinforce the benefits of shopping local.

Smart investments in host communities provide, a chance to create a model where destinations and travelers recover together. Consumers feel good about choosing to visit these places, and the industry is primed for continued success.

Read the full article here.

Responding to the needs of the post-pandemic traveller

Yolanda Perdomo is a leading expert in sustainable destination management, product development, marketing, tourism intelligence, and governance. She has over 20 years of professional experience in the tourism sector.

As ICF’s Senior Tourism Strategist, she recently shared her thoughts on the future of tourism, post-pandemic.

The rise of conscious or transformational travel

In her piece, Yolanda explains that the needs of travelers have evolved in recent years. A new perception of a more fragile world has shaped these expectations.

Those changes are accelerating post-pandemic and the tourism industry needs to respond. One way is to build new considerations into their value proposition.

The full article covers these considerations in far more depth, including travelers’ desires to make a positive environmental impact and benefit the communities they visit. This issue of sustainability in all its forms is important for modern travelers.

Personalization and other new trends

The article also explores other emerging trends. These include the growing need for a more immersive, human approach to travel. Yet another key trend is the changing attitude towards personal freedom and work/life balance in a post-pandemic world.

This last trend also points to the growing opportunity for destinations to cater to the needs of remote workers—many of whom interact more deeply with local communities than traditional tourists.

The need for collaboration

Technology has made it easier for destinations to showcase their unique value. It offers a way for them to differentiate themselves from the competition. But travelers now often have higher expectations and more complex needs than before. To meet these needs requires greater cooperation between local competitors in order for travelers to enjoy a seamless experience when they visit.

Increasingly, governments and the private sector will also need to work side-by-side. All stakeholders will need to be ready to assume new roles to cater to travelers. Cooperation will be key, and we will need to build the sustainable future of travel and tourism on a sound governance model.

An opportunity for the sector

This new reality presents plenty of opportunities for the sector. In most cases, destinations aren’t yet ready to meet the needs of the post-pandemic traveler.

Clearly, they need to develop new value propositions. But they also need other changes. These include more specialized product development, tangible actions involving all stakeholders, and a greater emphasis on branding, content, and reputation.

To read much more about each of these points, we encourage you to read the full article, here.

Main tourist trends in the Covid-19 era

Big Data for Travel Intelligence
January 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic. On a global scale, the pandemic has precipitated tectonic shifts for society, politics and
the world economy, highlighting the need to redefine how and when decisions are made and with what background information.

• What changes has the pandemic brought about in terms of tourism?
• What new patterns are emerging?

These are just some of the questions that are surfacing and to which immediate answers are needed

Time is not in your hands presentation

Best practices for case managers after a disaster

An article from one of ICF’s disaster management specialists explains the role that case managers can play in the aftermath of a disaster. For over 15 years, Candye Anderson has helped state and local governments around the world recover from natural disasters.

The role of relationship building in case management

Her piece explains that the role of a case manager goes far beyond processing an applicant’s paperwork. When someone applies for help, they are often in a vulnerable and difficult position. Anyone who has lost their home in a natural disaster needs considerable support. The aim of case management should always be to help applicants to feel hopeful again and able to sense the possibility of recovery.

What makes a successful case manager? Much of it comes down to developing strong relationships with those they are trying to help. Anyone approaching case management after a disaster should always remember that the people, they are dealing with are citizens, too. They are as much a part of our community as our own friends and neighbors. With this in mind, one of the most important aspects of being a good case manager is to show patience and kindness. They should combine this with a commitment to helping someone throughout the whole process and beyond. In this respect, case management is challenging work, but also incredibly rewarding.

Over many years, ICF has supported people who have been hit hard by natural disasters in places such as Louisiana, Texas, and Puerto Rico. In most cases, our case managers will decide on someone’s eligibility for aid by working through a carefully established process. You can read more about what those steps are in the full article, here.

Best practices for ensuring a collaborative case management process

The best approach to case management after a disaster is a collaborative one.

We recommend that at every stage of the program, case managers proactively take action to work with the people they are trying to support. Implement this approach right from the start. It should encompass every area of the process, from advocating for your applicants to planning and coordinating support. And at every stage, communicate clearly and adapt your message to your audience.

The article outlines all of our recommendations for best practice, drawn from our extensive case management experience. Again, we urge you to read more details in the full article, here.

We make five recommendations, covering:

1. Taking a one-to-one approach
2. Establishing upfront communication
3. Placing a strong emphasis on training
4. Promoting accessibility
5. Using data to inform decisions

Adaptability and sensitivity are key

Our best practices recommendations form a solid basis for a successful case management process. But we also know that every person, every community, and every situation is unique. For this reason, being flexible to each applicant’s needs is key. It’s why the very best-case managers are also great listeners and communicators. They are able to adapt the support they offer as they move through the process.

To find out more about ICF’s case management work, read the full article, here.

Global Assessment Report On Disaster Risk Reduction 2019

Disaster Risk Reduction in Cameroon: Are Contemporary Disaster Management Frameworks Accommodating the Sendai Framework Agenda 2030?

Many African countries are prone to numerous hazardous events, exacerbated by the vulnerability of their rapidly increasing population and leading to frequent dis- asters that often have dire fiscal and development impli- cations. Yet, there is declining sensitivity to these risks, contrary to the conventional wisdom of disaster manage- ment (DM) principles.

Europe’s opportunity to manage risk and build resilience

Climate change is a major driver of disaster losses and failed development. It amplifies risk and increases the intensity and frequency of natural hazards. It is changing the way we live, impacting the way societies function, in Europe and beyond.

Disaster Risk Reduction in Cameroon: Are Contemporary Disaster Management Frameworks Accommodating the Sendai Framework Agenda 2030?

Many African countries are prone to numerous hazardous events, exacerbated by the vulnerability of their rapidly increasing population and leading to frequent dis- asters that often have dire fiscal and development impli- cations. Yet, there is declining sensitivity to these risks, contrary to the conventional wisdom of disaster manage- ment (DM) principles.

Evaluating local vulnerability and organisational resilience to frequent flooding in Africa: the case of Northern Cameroon

The research findings have unveiled the physical and social vulnerability of Northern Cameroon to frequent flooding. Results also show that institutional performance for flood management in Cameroon is ineffective, and adaptive capacity is highly deficient. Cameroon’s legislative framework for flood management is weak, and this exacerbates the poor implementation of structural and non-structural flood management measures. Results also indicate issues with relief, evacuation and foreign assistance in flood management. Recommendations that focus on enhancing capacity of response to frequent flooding via reducing vulnerabilities, managing resilience and enhancing adaptive capacity are provided.

Enhancing local livelihoods resilience and food security in the face of frequent flooding in Africa: A disaster management perspective

Climate change and climate variability are causing frequent flooding in Northern Cameroon with dire consequences for food security and agrarian livelihoods. With projected increases in temperature and rainfall, there is heightened risk for livelihood assets and food security in the region. This article undertakes three tasks. First, it applies and adapts the Sustainable Livelihood conceptual framework to the Northern Cameroon case. Second, evaluating the 2012 floods, considered the worst affecting Northern Cameroon, and lastly, this research investigates the effects of frequent flooding on livelihood assets and food security focusing on two case study sites

Hurricane Occurrence and Seasonal Activity: An Analysis of the 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season

This article provides a reckoning of the 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season’s place in history to ascertain how unique it was from other hurricane seasons. A research strategy involving qualitative, descriptive and analytical research approaches, including content analysis, sequential description of events and comparative analysis, were used to assess how and why the 2017 AHS season is distinct from others.

Protect Your Business with Responsible Marine Tourism – Top Tips for Agents & Operators

Currently an estimated one million new scuba divers are certified each year with millions more snorkelling worldwide on coral reefs. The survival of the marine tourism industry depends on healthy coral reefs with lots of marine life and there is a growing interest from tourists for environmentally responsible operators.

Green Fins provides the only internationally recognised environmental standards for the scuba diving and snorkelling industry. Active members are certified annually through a robust environmental assessment and training process. Green Fins membership will show your customers that you care about the environment they have travelled so far to see. The initiative also enables policy makers to identify areas of high environmental risk within the industry. This means they can work with business owners to find a suitable solution to local threats.

Crisis readiness, are you prepared and resilient to safeguard your people & destinations?

Cyber security in the Middle East. Strategy& is part of the PwC network.A strategic approach to protecting national digital assets and infrastructure

The continuing success of digitization initiatives among the countries of the Middle East brings with it an added and growing exposure to the risk of cyber attacks. These attacks — by other states and by increasingly sophisticated criminal rings from around the world — have the potential to derail the progress of digitization, and threaten the benefits delivered through it.

How to be your own security team

Did the company laptop make it through security? How much time do I have after landing to get to my hotel to change my clothes and charge my phone? What time is my first meeting? Did I bring the right presentation with me?

There’s a lot going through your mind when you are traveling for business. You’re probably not as aware of your surroundings as you would be at home and it didn’t cross your mind to research your destination(s) for health or safety risks. But there are ways to reduce your risk while traveling for business — such as practicing your situational awareness skills.

These quick tips can help you be more aware of your surroundings while traveling.

Tourism insecurity in Tunisia spreads over to Egypt and Turkey

As a result of the attacks in Tunis at the end of June, the decrease in security perception and demand has also extended to other predominantly Muslim tourist destinations.

On Thursday 27^th June, terrorism struck again in Tunis with a double suicide attack, thus tarnishing a tourist season that was set to be prosperous. This double attack has shattered the relative peace of the last few years, a far cry from the wave of attacks in 2015 which had previously ruined the country’s tourist sector.

Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015 – 2030

Bouncing back and jumping forward: scoping the resilience landscape of international sports events and implications for events and festivals

The purpose of this conceptual article is to critically scope the resilience landscape to help better understand how future studies on international sports events and venues could be informed by exist- ing work in disaster management and resilience studies. The article suggests that within the differing benchmarks currently used to define and classify major international sports events, at present crises and disaster management considerations are largely ignored or underestimated.

Bouncing back and jumping forward: scoping the resilience landscape of international sports events and implications for events and festivals

The purpose of this conceptual article is to critically scope the resilience landscape to help better understand how future studies on international sports events and venues could be informed by exist- ing work in disaster management and resilience studies. The article suggests that within the differing benchmarks currently used to define and classify major international sports events, at present crises and disaster management considerations are largely ignored or underestimated.

Opportunities to integrate disaster risk reduction and climate resilience into sustainable finance

The next European Commission will have a unique opportunity to put disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and resilience at the heart of the financial system with its next wave of reforms under the Sustainable Finance Action Plan.

The scale of financial flows and investments is massive. In Europe assets under management reached €25.2 trillion in 2017, 147% of GDP1. And sustainable investment is growing fast – Blackrock, the world’s largest fund manager, has forecast that the total share of sustainable investments in Exchange Traded Funds globally will increase from today’s 3% of total assets, to 21% of all assets by 20282.

In the age of COVID-19, we need tech’s global reach

As the world struggles to contain the coronavirus (COVID-19), parallels are inevitably drawn to one of the last major global epidemics: the SARS outbreak in 2003. SARS was a different virus with different impacts, but something else is also very different today: We are all much more interconnected than in 2003.

Almost everyone has a smartphone; many people have personal health-monitoring devices such as Fitbits or smartwatches able to measure their temperature and heart rate. People communicate all the time via social media channels about what they are doing, where they are going and how they are feeling.

Blaming Active Volcanoes or Active Volcanic Blame? Volcanic Crisis Communication and Blame Management in the Cameroon

This chapter examines the key role of blame management and avoidance in crisis communication with particular reference to developing countries and areas that frequently experience volcanic episodes and disasters.

Coming soon…

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