Insights
By topic we will share the lessons learned and the key information for consideration.
- Airlines
- Analytics
- Coronavirus / Covid-19
- COVID-19 Trends
- Crisis Communications
- Crisis Management
- Data
- Disaster Management
- European Green Deal
- Floods
- Hurricane
- Marine Tourism
- Preparedness
- Recovery
- Resiliency
- Security
- Sendai Framework Agreement
- Sports Event Resilience Planning
- Sustainability
- Sustainable Finance
- Technology
- Volcanic Activity
- Premium Reports
Airlines
IATA Business Continuity Plan (for air carriers)
IATA recommends that all air carriers have emergency response plans to deal with public health emergencies. While a number of air carriers already have such a plan in place, many do not. The following constitutes a sample template for an emergency response plan applicable to public health emergencies.
This document has two primary objectives:
- Identify in broad terms how to prepare for a public health emergency.
- Provide checklists of actions that should be built into a public health emergency plan.
Worldwide snapshot of Thomas Cook’s bankruptcy: 38 countries and 8.6 million seats affected
Mabrian Technologies offers a detailed analysis of the direct effects on flight seats caused by the tour operator failure, by countries and specific airports.
The sudden failure of the travel company giant has raised alarm bells in the tourism industry worldwide. In fact, 38 countries are affected by the situation, particularly in Europe, and more than 8.6 million flight seats will be cancelled from now until end of August 2020, according to the last flights programming (for the period 1st September 2019 – 31st August 2020) announced by the company at the beginning of this month.
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.
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.
Coronavirus crisis: North American tourists most affected
The negative impact on tourist arrivals in China is indisputable, however not all markets show the same level of sensitivity in the face of the current crisis. The US and Canadian markets show a higher drop in demand than European issuing markets.
The global impact of the Coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan (China) is directly affecting both inbound and outbound tourist flows to/from the Asian country. The overlap between the sanitary crisis, its subsequent air connectivity deadlock (65% drop in international air connections) and the Chinese New Year (25th January) and ensuing Golden Week has caused a global collapse of Chinese outbound tourism.
Up to 1.4 million flight seats could be affected by Ryanair closing bases
The threat of the bases closing in Tenerife Sur, Las Palmas, Girona and Faro leaves 1.4 million incoming flight seats, that were programmed for the first semester of 2020, up in the air.
The unexpected announcement from the Irish airline regarding the closure of the aforementioned bases in January 2020 has startled the tourism sector in those destinations given the serious impact that it could have on the flight seats’ volume for next year.
Analytics
Analysing the Disruption Curve Presentation
Experts assess how the current crisis will impact different sectors in the future.
Presentation by Nina Wittkamp, Associate Partner, McKinsey & Company
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:
- 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.
- 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
Crisis Management
The Future of Travel Through the Lens of Sustainability Technology Health
Presentation by Finn Partners
Data
Skyscanner Horizons
Did you know that bookings from the US to the United Arab Emirates and Qatar have increased by 77% and 524%, respectively, from 2019?
Discover more key trends and insights like this in Skyscanner’s new Horizons report: “Travel’s resilience and trends shaping recovery”.
PATA mPower
PATAmPOWER is your one stop for data about the Asia Pacific visitor economy, improving productivity, providing faster insights and enabling smarter decisions.
Disaster Management
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:
- Taking a one-to-one approach
- Establishing upfront communication
- Placing a strong emphasis on training
- Promoting accessibility
- 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.
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.
European Green Deal
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.
Floods
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
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.
Marine Tourism
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.

Preparedness
Crisis readiness, are you prepared and resilient to safeguard your people & destinations?
Risks today are complex. With news telling us every day of the latest shock, it is essential that the sector be crisis-ready to be able to continue to safeguard its people and its destinations.
Over the past few decades, the economic impact of natural disasters has increased, as well as the diversity of health risks. Yet, the reality is that travellers are much more likely
to confront small-scale risks like petty theft or traffic accidents than those they see broadcast in news bulletins on the small screen.
Recovery
WTTC – G20’s Public & Private Sector Recovery Plan
As of September 2020, more than 121 million jobs and livelihoods in the Travel and Tourism sector have been impacted globally creating the worst economic and social crisis.
An unprecedented crisis requires unprecedented action and collaboration. This is evident in the coordinated actions the G20 has taken in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic first steps.
Enhanced international coordination to remove barriers and build traveller confidence are critical to the sector’s survival and recovery. To achieve recovery, it is essential to provide certainty for the travellers in regard to travel restrictions and policies to facilitate domestic and international travel.
There is a unique window of opportunity for leaders from the public and private sector to work together to create the path forward to provide the economic recovery needed for the Travel & Tourism industry without compromising the necessary health measures and, bring back millions of jobs.
Under the leadership of Saudi Arabia and its Presidency of the G20 the global Travel & Tourism private sector was asked to put together a plan to support the recovery of the sector and bring back 100 million jobs.
Resiliency
UNDRR Report: “Making Critical Infrastructure Resilient: Ensuring Continuity of Service – Policy and Regulations in Europe and Central Asia”
We are pleased to share with you a recently release report from UNDRR on “Making Critical Infrastructure Resilient: Ensuring Continuity of Service – Policy and Regulations in Europe and Central Asia“
The report provides an overview and an assessment of the level of inclusion of risk reduction and resilience measures in national policies and regulations for the protection of critical infrastructure in countries in Europe, Central Asia and the South Caucasus.
Four critical infrastructure sectors were examined: energy, water, transport and ICT. These are considered vital for securing the normal functioning of states and the private sector, and for supporting the everyday life of people – often referred to as ‘lifelines.’
We hope you find the report useful and interesting.
Security
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 27th 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 Agreement
Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015 – 2030
The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 was adopted at the Third UN World Conference in Sendai, Japan, on March 18, 2015. It is the outcome of stakeholder consultations initiated in March 2012 and inter-governmental negotiations from July 2014 to March 2015, supported by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction at the request of the UN General Assembly.
Sports Event Resilience Planning
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.
Sustainability

FAIReconomics
Bundestag decides coal phase-out: On Friday the Bundestag passed the coal phase-out law. But in the meantime, criticism has been voiced about the high payments, which will make the companies gold rather than silver the exit. 4.35 billion euros are to be transferred to RWE and Leag for the decommissioning of all power plants by 2038 at the latest.
FAIReconomics
Expert Council for Climate Issues appointed: The Federal Government has appointed the Council of Experts on Climate Issues. The new body is responsible for reviewing the development of greenhouse gas emissions and the effectiveness of government measures. Its members include Brigitte Knopf from the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change in Berlin, Marc Oliver Bettzüge. Managing Director of the Energy Economics Institute (EWI), Thomas Heimer, Professor of Innovation Management and Project Management at the RheinMain University of Applied Sciences in Rüsselsheim, ans-Martin Henning, Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) and Professor of Solar Energy Systems at the Institute for Sustainable Technical Systems at the University of Freiburg, and Barbara Schlomann, Head of the Energy Policy Division in the Energy Policy and Energy Markets Competence Center at the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (ISI)
The Re-emergence of Travel
A Travelyst View – Read the report below
Sustainable Finance
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.
Technology
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.
Resiliency
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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