By ANNELIA NIXON

anixon@tribunemedia.net

TRINIDAD & Tobago is set to receive lessons in “crisis management best practices” from The Bahamas so it can better protect its own tourism industry and ensure its sustainability.

The initiative, which is receiving $20,000 in financing from the Inter- American Development Bank (IDB), is set to take place from September 23-27, 2024, with Trinidadian officials set to visit this nation “to examine first-hand” the measures that The Bahamas takes to protect its largest industry and employer when trouble strikes.

Describing it as a “knowledge exchange” to “strengthen tourism crisis management” in the southern Caribbean country, the IDB said on its website: “The objective of the technical co-operation is to contribute to the institutional strengthening of the THA through the exchange of experiences, knowledge and learnings based on the experience of the crisis management unit of the Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation of The Bahamas.

“In particular, this study tour is expected to provide participants with first-hand insights into best practices for destination crisis management. The goal is to review and analyse The Bahamas’ tourism crisis management strategies, with a particular emphasis on the operations and effectiveness of their Visitor Relations Unit.”

Latia Duncombe, The Bahamas’ tourism director-general, told Tribune Business that Trinidad is interested in learning how “to enhance existing tourism destination crisis management strategies, and to engage in networking with technical experts from state enterprises related to tourism destination crisis management”.

She said: “They indicated that it was to examine first-hand the factors and lessons learned from the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism as a successful and long-standing example of tourism destination crisis management.

“To equip participants to enhance existing tourism destination crisis management strategies, and to engage in networking with technical experts from state enterprises related to tourism destination crisis management.

“So, for us, we’re fortunate that we have a complete unit that focuses on this and it’s important. So it’s just sharing information, best practices and some of the things that we’ve done to prepare for storms and to re-open the destination if any island is impacted.”

Mrs Duncombe said there are plans for Trinidadian officials to visit either Abaco or Grand Bahama, the two Dorian-ravaged islands, with the latter likely to be the preferred choice.

“So when we look at it, it’s making sure that the visitors are aware that they’re safe, that we communicate effectively, that we know what’s going on on each of the islands within the Bahamas, and then that we also make sure that the brand and the reputation is also protected in The Bahamas,” she said of the ministry’s approach.

“We always speak about the 16 islands, and so we want them [the world] to know that, okay, if a storm is hitting one island, it doesn’t mean that we’re closed. We saw with the passing of Hurricane Dorian where two of our islands were impacted. We did quite a bit of work to make sure that the world knew we were still open and you could still visit the islands of The Bahamas.

“We still had another 14 islands. So when we look at the crisis management component, tourism and public relations and communicating, making sure that the visitors are safe, that falls under our ministry.” Other tourism-related crises that The Bahamas has had to face and overcome besides hurricanes includes the fall-out from US and international crime alerts and associated travel advisories.

Mrs Duncombe said the Trinidad delegation’s itinerary consists of visiting the Disaster Reconstruction Authority (DRA); discussions about protocols; and engagements with the private sector, hotels and the Family Islands. She said agencies including the Department of Meteorology, the Bahamas Red Cross, Department of Social Services and others will “play a very important role”.

“We’ve invited the Out Island Promotion Board to join as well,” she added. “NAD (the Nassau Airport Development Company) will also be a part of it and, for us at the Ministry of Tourism, in addition to that committee, the emergency co-ordinating committee, we also have units like the Visitor Relations Unit that would engage with our guests, the Visitor Safety and Security Department, and then also the tourism police, so they’re going to be very active and an integral part of it as well. And, in the words of the IDB, we’ve been most successful as it relates to tourism destination crisis management in the campaign.”