Disaster Risk Management for Coastal Tourism - Caribbean Hotel ...

Disaster Risk Management For Coastal Tourism Destinations Responding To Climate Change
A Practical Guide For Decision Makers
Notify Essential Agency Personnel: The emergency response team along
in writing, on the agreed and scheduled date of the exercise. They should
also be reminded of their roles and responsibilities under the preparedness
plan. Share also with collaborating agencies the overall goal of the exercise.
However, the measures of success and achievement should remain known
only to the disaster management agency. It is important during exercises to
document how emergency response agencies and personnel interpret, make
decisions and carry out their roles and responsibilities and react in situations
of crisis. Be sure to document these observations as they will be useful for
building knowledge and for use during training sessions.
Drilling in Multi-Sessions: If exercises are undertaken in separate sessions
because of logistics, ensure that there is continuity between each session
The tourism industry will likely present a challenge because of its service
guarantee to its clientele. Hence, there will be a natural reluctance to drill
plans especially if it coincides with the tourist high season. The plan can
be simulated in other low seasons or in stages, provided always that the
emergency coordinator maintains constant vigilance and a leadership role
throughout each stage.
Establish an Observation Team: Subject to the availability of personnel,
an exercise observation team should be appointed for the purposes of
knowledge building and incorporating learning into the risk reduction
process. This team should only be charged with the task of observing and
what is to be observed, measured and documented and should have limited
to no interaction with the major actors, particularly in the drill exercise.
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6.2.3
Revising and Updating the Preparedness Plan
The Coordinating Group should reconvene a meeting with key actors from the local
disaster management, tourism and other collaborating agencies. The observation
action” tasks, as described below.
Corrective Action Program:
will be used as inputs for a corrective action program. The latter provides
a systematic way of making alterations to the preparedness plan. The
corrective action program should identify plan weaknesses and shortfalls,
areas where decision-making or communications are weak or confused
and specify the actions required to correct for same. This is essential for
discussion within the disaster management and tourism agencies, the
Coordinating Group and emergency response agencies and personnel as
part of the “after action” critique of the entire drill exercise.
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