Tourism Risk Management - Sustainable Tourism Online

Training of Staff
Crises inevitably require personnel to step outside their normal day-to-day roles and responsibilities
and to carry out tasks which are far less familiar. To make it even more difficult, not only are many of
the tasks unfamiliar, but they must be carried out in the highly stressful environment which crises
produce. For these reasons it is very important that personnel be trained for and regularly tested in
their crisis management tasks. Personnel also need the opportunity to practise their tasks as skill
levels will deteriorate rapidly, even given the best of training, if regular practice is not undertaken.
A planning committee should identify the specific crisis management training needs of personnel and
ensure that appropriate initial and ongoing training is provided. This must also include relevant
induction programs for new staff.
Testing Plans and Personnel – Crisis Management Exercises (Mock Crises)
The fundamental purpose of training and exercising is to improve the capacity to respond efficiently
and effectively in times of crisis. Crisis management exercises can:
• reveal planning weaknesses;
• expose resource gaps;
• clarify roles and responsibilities;
• improve individual performances;
• build confidence;
• develop proficiency;
• test plans, systems and procedures; and
• foster cooperation between tourism operators and destinations.
Most importantly, whilst exercises can’t exactly duplicate the stressors imposed by crises, they do
provide an opportunity to assess the ability of personnel to perform under stressful conditions. An
exercise will also identify whether or not plans, systems and procedures can withstand the same
crisis pressure.
That's what you need to know. Crisis management is not about being able to function in normal
surroundings or circumstances. It's about being able to function effectively under crisis pressure, in
abnormal surroundings or circumstances - and not everyone, or every system, can do so.
Exercises provide the opportunity for personnel from the visitor region to work together and to
develop an understanding of how others operate, their priorities and systems, and to develop an
effective working relationship.
Exercise Options
The starting point of exercise management is to identify what exactly it is that you want to test and
what is the best way to go about it. Destinations may choose to access personnel skilled in exercise
development and management in order to maximize the benefits. Types of exercise include:
56 Tourism Risk Management – An Authoritative Guide to Managing Crises in Tourism