Tourism is the largest and fastest growing industry in the world with greater numbers of people traveling both nationally and internationally than ever before. The importance of tourism to the economy is overwhelmingly significant and the effects of a crisis can have devastating, long-range impacts for destinations and organizations, as well as the nation’s economy.

The level of preparedness for nature- and human-induced disasters is of increasingly significant concern for governments and the private sector. In addition, public consciousness about safety, security, and crisis management have been dramatically heightened because of recent catastrophic events. Given the economic magnitude and the critical importance of the tourism industry, it is imperative for governments at all levels to focus on prudent levels of preparedness and recovery efforts for the travel and tourism industry. Proactive measures such as development of tourism crisis management plans that strategically emphasize communication and training, visitor evacuation, and economic recovery will alleviate negative social and economic impacts.

Sincerely,

Lori Pennington-Gray, Ph.D.
Director, Tourism Crisis Management Initiative

Mission

The mission of the Tourism Crisis Management Initiative is to develop research-driven solutions to crises that address planning, preparedness, response, and recovery in local, state, and national tourism economies.

Vision

The vision of the Tourism Crisis Management Initiative is to be the premiere international tourism crisis management institute providing innovative scholarly and applied research driven service to private and public sectors. Quality research is facilitated through interdisciplinary teams of experts with experience and knowledge in problem solving.