Tourism Risk Management - Sustainable Tourism Online

The Four Crisis Management Strategies
Originally developed by the United Nations Disaster Relief Organization (UNDRO) more than thirty
years ago, the comprehensive crisis management strategies of prevention/mitigation, preparedness,
response and recovery (PPRR) have been widely adopted and provide tourism destinations and
businesses/organizations with a logical, methodical and interlinked approach to crisis management
which has stood the test of time. Although there are variations on the PPRR theme in use (for
example, the four Rs – reduction, readiness, response and recovery), prevention/mitigation,
preparedness, response and recovery is the terminology used in current risk management
processes, and it’s the accepted terminology in disaster management. It is appropriate for this guide
to use PPRR to be consistent with current practices.
PPRR are crisis management strategies, not stages of crisis management. Importantly,
prevention/mitigation and preparedness are continuous processes with no end point. Once a crisis
management plan has been developed, for example, staff have to be trained to the plan, the plan has
to be tested and then revised in light of lessons learned, and staff trained and tested to the revised
plan: planning is an ongoing process.
1. Prevention/Mitigation
Given that these four crisis management strategies are the treatments of residual risk in a risk
management process, risk treatment measures designed to prevent or mitigate (reduce the effects
of) crises should have already been identified and implemented (see Chapter 2). As part of the
process of monitoring and review, however, these should be revisited and new sources of risk to the
tourism business/organization or destination identified and the implementation of risk treatment
measures assessed.
For both the tourism business/organization and destination, an added tool in strategic business
management is the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis which provides
a structure to identify an organization’s internal strengths and weaknesses, and external
opportunities and threats.
A SWOT analysis used when developing plans and procedures to cope with crises, should focus
upon: strengths, including the resources and support available within a tourism business/organization
and destination to deal with a crisis; weaknesses, the factors which will affect the ability of each to
cope with a crisis and its aftermath; opportunities to enlist government and community involvement
and support to tourism; and threats including the sources of risk to a tourism facility and destination.
(These will already have been identified as part of the tourism risk management process where the
identification of hazards, sources of risk, is a key step in the process. See Chapter 2 for details.)
Occupational Health and Safety
A significant prevention and mitigation measure for crises is to have in place the systems and
procedures necessary to protect the health and safety of visitors and staff. In many countries,
legislation establishes the requirements for occupational health and safety measures to be developed
and maintained, and destinations should identify health and safety requirements to protect visitors
and tourism personnel consistent with national legal requirements, and advise tourism operators on
the development of appropriate plans and procedures.
Consultation between the destination and relevant government departments and emergency services
will ensure that appropriate measures, which comply with national regulations, can be developed and
implemented. Such inter-agency cooperation will also promote an integrated approach to tourism-
52 Tourism Risk Management – An Authoritative Guide to Managing Crises in Tourism