Risk and Crisis Management in Tourism

International Tourism is growing constantly allowing also larger parts of the global population to actively benefit from this development. However, there are national, regional and global challenges to be considered when ensuring that this growth is sustainable and resilient.

This course allows students to engage with a number of practical and conceptual issues related to risk and crisis management in tourism, starting with a geographical emphasis on the Middle East. The course is divided into two main parts:

The first part of the course introduces key themes in the analysis of risk and crisis management through a variety of case studies drawn from tourism to the Middle East. Many states in the region are heavily reliant on tourism, and yet the Middle East has been almost constantly affected by political crises, wars and terrorism since the end of World War II. The impact of recent events, such as the so-called "Arab Spring", will also be taken into account in this section.

The second part focusses on crises spheres of activity, methods of analysis and prognosis, risk management, strategic measures of crisis management, crisis planning and organizational measures, mitigation strategies, crisis management instruments while at the same time applying practical case studies. The session provides also a strong link to relevant processes at the international level and the United Nations system will be provided.

Reading:

• Crisis Management in the Tourism Industry, Dirk Glaesser, 2nd Ed, 2006, Elsevier
• International Health Regulations, 2005, World Health Organization
• Communications and Incentives: The Importance of Fast and Sincere Reporting, 2008, UNWTO