ABTA Holding Crisis Management Seminar
Date published: 31 January 2008ABTA is holding a crisis management seminar on Wednesday 5 March for tour operators on all aspects of dealing with issues and crises.
The all day seminar will help companies on how to prepare for a crisis, the training of staff and the testing of procedures. It will also outline what new services ABTA can offer so companies will have the right tools in place to make the right judgement calls when a crisis strikes.
"The travel industry can be more vulnerable to situations beyond their control than most, said Susan Lamb, ABTA's Member Operational Support Manager. "Hurricanes, tsunamis, political unrest and strikes may not be a tour operator's fault, but the way a company deals with the fall-out effects the bottom line and tests reputations with both existing customers' who may have been caught in the middle of a trauma - and potential ones."
One of the new services ABTA is offering is trauma support through the Centre of Crisis Psychology - or CCP. ABTA members now have free 24/7 access to the CCP telephone help line. It also allows easy access to all of CCP's Trauma Response Services, which include the services of highly experienced full-time trauma consultants who can travel wherever their services are required.
Martin Alderton Clinical Partner, from CCP will be providing a practical session on how companies can look after their staff and customers following a traumatic incident.
Martin Alderton said: "Traumatic and tragic events can have psychological consequences for customers, their families, and staff. We will look at how a well-informed and proactive response from tour operators can minimise those reactions and minimise the potential damage to the operator's business."
Tim Johnson from the specialist reputation management consultants, Regester Larkin will also look at how organisations can predict, prepare for and manage issues and crises from a communications point of view. "When scrutiny is high and reputations are on the line, companies need to make and, also communicate the right decisions." Tim will talk about how timely and appropriate communications can really help protect reputations.
For full programme details and to book your place, go to www.abta.com/events/crisis050308.pdf. For specific event questions, please contact Julie Graves in our Events department on 020 7307 1956.
24 January 2008
For further information
Notes to editors
Notes to Editors: Last week ABTA's Member Operational Support Manager, Susan Lamb sent an email to the small and medium sized tour operator members outlining how ABTA plans to improve communication between ABTA and tour operator members during or following a serious operational event or crisis. ABTA will do this by proactively contacting key operational contacts through phone, email and text. The letter requested out of hours details of the relevant operational contact.
ABTA is also in the process of updating crisis management procedures and plans to have checklists for different categories of incidents available on www.abta.com by the end of February. This aims to be a helpful reference guide for tour operator teams.
