HEADLINE NEWS
The disaster that occurred Southeast
Asia in late 2004 made headlines across the globe. In news
rooms, the story bridged the international politics and tourism
desks, and has prompted insightful essays on how the disaster
is changing the face of tourism.
As Jim
Benning points out in the Boston Globe article When
their holidays turned hellish travelers actually stuck around
to help out with relief efforts. Benning writes:
Westerners remaining in South Asia to help didn't bargain
for a disaster when they set off on their winter trips. But
their willingness to help instead of immediately returning
home or setting off for carefree climes demonstrates a fact
that too often gets overlooked: Travelers are capable of great
good. On CNN Tuesday night, Larry King asked a couple of Americans
what they were still doing in Thailand, more than a week after
the tsunamis had struck. Why hadn't they come home from their
disastrous vacation?
They stood against a backdrop of verdant hills, blinking,
as King's query bounced by satellite across the globe. Then
they explained patiently that the Thais had been kind and
generous ever since the waves hit. The two wanted to help
in any way they could. So, they said, they had been carrying
bodies and coffins through the tropical heat. Friends back
home had been wiring money to them to help, and they had been
distributing it, operating their own mini-relief agency.
HURRICANE WILMA
Hurricane Wilma caused great damage to Mexico's Yucatán.
In December 2005 journalist Steve Bridger launched the afterwilma.info
to document "the Story of Cancun& the Riviera Maya
getting back on its feet." This is a great example of citizen
journalism.
Steve explains in his blog's about
section: "We all saw the scenes of devastation on the TV
news bulletins. We rarely get to see - or read - of the recovery.
It is no longer good enough to bombard people with positive
messages about how Cancún, Cozumel and the Riviera Maya
are open for business. It is now a conversation. Word-of-mouth
is more powerful than an expensive TV ad. Consumers themselves
are sharing good and bad experiences online."
TOURISM, CRISIS AND COMMUNICATION
In 2007 Planeta.com is conducting a private dialogue about
Tourism,
Crisis and Communication.
We need to see more timely information from government tourism
websites, pr agencies and operators themselves. If there are
problems, those who are honest about what is taking place will
be respected more by travelers and travel professionals in the
future.
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