This week, our CEO Robin Ingle headed to Lisbon to take part in the World Travel & Tourism Council’s Europe Leaders Forum. Bringing together over 100 leaders in the travel and tourism industry, the forum is the ideal venue to discuss key issues facing Europe’s tourism sector.

Robin joined the event as a guest speaker to discuss something that is front-of-mind for many travellers today: security and crisis preparedness in the travel and tourism industry.

With technology making us more connected than ever, we hear increasing reports of crisis situations happening around the globe. With these concerns in mind, the WTTC forum posed this question to Robin: what role can travel and tourism organizations play in helping to keep travellers healthy, prepared, and safe?

As the CEO of a group of companies that makes travel health and safety its business, this subject is close to Robin’s heart. He took to the stage at this year’s event to answer questions and progress the conversation on travel health and safety in the tourism industry.

Key takeaway tips

The WTTC forum organizers posed some great questions, leading to a fruitful conversation on the issue of crisis preparation. Here are some highlights of Robin’s talk:

• We need to take ownership over our security. Crisis management involves all of us, and we need to encourage a culture where each one of us, whether a business traveller or a corporation, a tourist or tour group, or a government authority, recognize the importance staying aware of our surroundings and knowing what to do in times of crises. Knowledge is key, and we need to review our security protocol on a regular basis and make sure each person in our respective organizations knows what to do in the event of a crisis.
• Technology can be used to enhance security. With the use of technology, we can provide travellers ready access to all the resources they need. For instance, some of the ways our group of companies uses technology for crisis preparedness include geo-tracking and real-time alerts, proactive warnings, two-way communication, and 24/7 emergency assistance—all from the smartphone that travellers already take with them everywhere. Up-to-date destination content can also help travellers be prepared for wherever they’re headed.
• Lack of awareness is an ongoing challenge. Organizations in the travel and tourism industry must focus on clear communication in order for us to be an effective resource for travellers to take charge of their safety abroad. We need to simplify the message and make it easy for travellers to remember what to do in the case of an emergency. And we must leverage the unprecedented levels of technology and connection we now have available to us to help make the world a safer, more secure place for travellers everywhere.

Learn more about the WTTC at the organization’s website.