How can you use your tour operator professional network to improve your crisis management plan?

Crisis management is a vital skill for any tour operator, especially in the unpredictable and dynamic travel industry. You never know when a natural disaster, a political upheaval, a health emergency, or a customer complaint might disrupt your operations and affect your reputation. That's why having a solid crisis management plan is essential to prepare for and respond to any potential scenario. But how can you make your plan more effective and resilient? One way is to leverage your tour operator professional network, which is a valuable source of information, support, and collaboration. In this article, we'll explore how you can use your network to improve your crisis management plan in four ways: by sharing best practices, by accessing resources, by communicating effectively, and by learning from feedback.

1 Share best practices

One of the benefits of having a tour operator professional network is that you can learn from the experiences and insights of your peers. By sharing best practices, you can discover new strategies, tools, and techniques to handle different types of crises. For example, you can ask your network how they dealt with a similar situation in the past, what challenges they faced, what solutions they implemented, and what outcomes they achieved. You can also share your own best practices and offer advice to others who might need it. By exchanging best practices, you can improve your crisis management plan by incorporating proven methods and avoiding common pitfalls.

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Christel Kovacs

Senior Business and Leisure Consultant
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Dans notre travail, la communication est très importante, mais il faut savoir trier, conserver certains mails pour trouver une solution plus tard si le problème se présente. Veuillez à ne pas se laisser déborder par trop d informations, notamment des prestataires. Trop d’infos, tue l’info. En revanche, l’entraide entre agents de voyages existe et fonctionne très bien, ne pas hésiter à utiliser plusieurs canaux : le groupe Facebook agv, via ses relations linkedin, le forum sur la plateforme Saphir des agences selectours, des confrères d’autres agences rencontrés lors d’événements professionnels ou anciens collègues … l’important est de chercher judicieusement l’information, le bon conseil.

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KAPIL NABAR

Independent Aviation Professional, Founder of N-Tourismpreneur, Founder of Kapil's Coffee, Contract Mfgr of Nutraceuticals, Cosmetics, VET Feed & PET Care, Ayurvedic, Home Care and Liquid fill Capsules, & B. Consultant
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Forge an unbreakable bond with your tour operator network, transforming crisis management. Cultivate relationships with industry leaders, exchanging insights and best practices. Establish a rapid communication channel, ensuring real-time information flow during crises. Collaborate on contingency plans, leveraging collective wisdom. Unify resources for resilient solutions, turning challenges into opportunities. Embrace a collaborative ecosystem that fortifies your crisis response, illustrating the strength of unity in navigating the unpredictable seas of the travel industry. Illuminate the path forward with the brilliance of shared knowledge and unwavering partnerships.

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2 Access resources

Another benefit of having a tour operator professional network is that you can access resources that can help you cope with a crisis. These resources can include contacts, suppliers, experts, media, authorities, and other stakeholders that can provide you with assistance, information, guidance, or support. For example, you can ask your network for recommendations on reliable and reputable vendors, service providers, or consultants that can help you with your operations, logistics, or legal issues. You can also access resources that can help you with your communication, such as media outlets, influencers, or advocacy groups that can help you spread your message, address your audience, or defend your reputation. By accessing resources, you can improve your crisis management plan by expanding your options and enhancing your capabilities.

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Christel Kovacs

Senior Business and Leisure Consultant
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Assez d’accord sauf pour les influenceurs. Pardon mais ils sont parfois à l’origine de la crise, de la déception du voyageur. Leur publications déforment ou embellissent une réalité, ils ne se basent que sur une expérience pour en faire une généralité. Les professionnels qui font de l’influence pour conseiller, aider oui. Mais les professionnels de l’influence, non.

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3 Communicate effectively

A third benefit of having a tour operator professional network is that you can communicate effectively with your network members and other relevant parties during a crisis. Communication is crucial for managing a crisis, as it can help you inform, reassure, persuade, or apologize to your customers, employees, partners, or regulators. For example, you can use your network to communicate your situation, actions, expectations, or requests to your network members and ask for their feedback, support, or cooperation. You can also use your network to communicate your message, values, or vision to other parties, such as the media, the public, or the authorities, and ask for their understanding, trust, or endorsement. By communicating effectively, you can improve your crisis management plan by building relationships and reputation.

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4 Learn from feedback

A fourth benefit of having a tour operator professional network is that you can learn from feedback that can help you improve your crisis management plan for the future. Feedback can come from your network members, your customers, your employees, or other sources that can give you an honest and constructive evaluation of your performance, actions, or outcomes during a crisis. For example, you can ask your network for feedback on how you handled a crisis, what you did well, what you did poorly, and what you can do better. You can also ask for feedback from other sources, such as surveys, reviews, ratings, or complaints, that can give you an indication of your customer satisfaction, employee engagement, or market reputation. By learning from feedback, you can improve your crisis management plan by identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

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5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Christel Kovacs

Senior Business and Leisure Consultant
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La gestion de crise, les agents de voyages connaissent : entre grèves, météo, vols annulés sans une reprotection viable des cies (surtout low cost), les voyageurs d’affaires qui quittent leur rendez-vous très tard au risque de rater leur vol… cela fait partie du quotidien. La grosse crise qui m’a marquée, c est l’éruption du volcan. Un ancien client business dont la société avait imposé de réserver via le plateau affaire d’une cie aérienne, s est retrouvé bloqué en Amérique du Sud et ladite cie ne faisait rien pour lui. Il m’a contacté et finalement je lui ai organisé son retour avec 2 avions plus un train 😥 Nous étions tous dans la même galère, l’adrénaline nous faisait tenir. En conclusion, relativisons, 😮💨il y aura une solution.

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How can you use your tour operator professional network to improve your crisis management plan?

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1 Share best practices

2 Access resources

3 Communicate effectively

4 Learn from feedback

5 Here’s what else to consider

Travel & Tourism

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