INCON Knowledge Partner for Tourism Security Summit
The MICE industry needs to examine how to respond to challenges facing the industry in the current era of security instability, terrorism and crises. We also need to learn how to manage and recover from crises and what are the best practices in destination resilience.
Together with our Partner ORTRA, INCON has supported the development of a Tourism Security Summit which is taking place in Jerusalem October 7-9, 2018. ITSS is bringing together tourism professionals from all over the world to talk about how destinations prepare for crises.
Lior Gelfland, Ortra’s CEO explained “INCON is the knowledge partner for this event and we hope that the summit will provide a meeting place for any tourism and hospitality decision maker, marketer, operator and security professional that may be affected by a crisis or a security event. ITSS is also relevant for all those involved in the tourism industry in general and for Tourism Bureau in particular due to their vulnerability to security instability”.
ITSS includes a special session on how the MICE industry has changed its marketing strategy in the aftermath of security threats and how event destinations are affected. The MICE session, led by INCON’s Co-chair Carol McGury looks at Conference Organisers and MICE professionals' reaction to crises and security threats and looks at preventing cancelations and managing the impact on future events. The session will also include a special focus on the unique experience of INCON’s partner, Japan Convention Services, which looks at managing an event after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011. The summit is also bringing together a number of other international speakers and experts who will share their views at the following summit sessions:
Tourism in a Turbulent Era
What threats are we facing? How do these threats affect tourism and tourist behavior, and what key marketing tools can be used to protect our image?
The ITSS opening session will provide an up-to-date overview of global security threats and their effect on the tourism industry in OECD countries; the session will examine the role of marketing and public relations in managing proactive communication prior to, during and following a crisis.
Image Crisis, Destinations and Attractions
How are destinations marketed effectively in turbulent times? What is the best marketing recovery approach? The destinations and attractions session will focus on the real-life experience of Turkey and Jerusalem in facing security crises, and the methods employed for effective and speedy recovery. The session will also look into the Chinese market response to crises.
Public Relations and Recovery Marketing
What are the most effective PR strategies for recovering from a crisis? How to communicate with the media following a security incident? And how to speed up recovery? The public relations session will host some of the leading PR professionals in travel and tourism to discuss image recovery tactics, sending counter-messages to create a sense of security, re-framing media coverage, and social media as a powerful tool for battling stereotypes and altering a negative image.
Crisis in the Hospitality Industry
Should the hospitality industry’s high exposure to security crises be a major factor in its marketing strategy? How do hotels and resorts communicate peace of mind and a sense of security in an age of security instability? The hospitality session examines how tourism crises affect reservations on global OTAs, accommodation providers, and how hotel brands should develop a communication plan for building a resilient image and readiness to handle future crises.
For more information please visit http://www.tourismsafety.org.
About INCON
INCON is a partnership of the world’s leading conference and association management companies. The partnership covers 170 destinations and employs a total of 3,500 staff. INCON has substantial purchasing power and organises more than 10,000 projects annually, serving 3 million plus delegates. Jerusalem CVB and Goyang CVB are INCON preferred suppliers.