COPING WITH NEGATIVE TRAVEL ADVISORIES

The Pacific Asia Travel Association has released a paper called Living With Government Travel Advisories: Maximising Gain, Minimising Pain.

A travel advisory is an official warning issued by a country to its citizens about the dangers, real or perceived, of travel in a specific foreign land. The report’s author, Mr. David Beirman, argues that it is vital for national tourism offices to understand how governments formulate advisories.

"In managing the impact of travel advisories it is equally important for tourism authorities, especially when based in a foreign country, to identify and establish an ongoing relationship with those who actually formulate government travel advisories."

The report says that if a cordial relationship is established in peaceful times, this will benefit the destination when it faces a crisis.

The report also argues that government information gathering is an inexact science. Travel advisories are often researched and written by overseas embassy staff who rely on personal experience, local and foreign media reports and, only in some cases, on field assessments. When there is no embassy or consulate, information gathering may be based on second-hand reports, some of them inaccurate.

Accordingly, it is vital for tourism officials in a destination to create an ongoing relationship with embassy officials representing the source country. Mr. Beirman, the founder and inaugural Chairman of the Eastern Mediterranean Tourism Association (Australia) and executive board member of ANTOR (Association of National Tourist Offices--Australia), also says that some governments deliberately issue harsh travel advisories to show political disapproval of a destination’s policies.

However, a national tourism office can turn the tide with good embassy relations, by issuing alternative press releases, by direct counter broadcasts to tour operators, airlines and insurance companies, by posting honest security updates on its Web site, by proposing alternative security solutions for travellers, by inviting foreign journalists to see what the situation is really like, and by working closely with regional tourism associations.

PATA members can download Living With Government Travel Advisories from the members-only area of PATAnet at www.pata.org. Non-members can purchase the eight-page, 3,400-word report for US$25.