IH&RA ACTION:

• It is clear that safety and security is a non-competitive area and that hospitality companies have as a vested interest in sharing best practices as a way of building collectively on lessons learnt across the globe.
• IH&RA is keen to remedy to provide a formal closed forum for operators to share best practice, discuss concerns and potential threats as they emerge in order to promote crisis & risk preparedness and management.
• IH&RA is also concerned to promote an image with the public, reinforced by the media, that the hospitality industry is in fact prepared for crises and not a soft target for crime, terrorism and disasters.

 IH&RA has set up a Global Council on Crisis & Risk Management & Prevention designed to:

• Increase cooperation between companies and properties:
  • US-based chains already cooperate with the US State Security Advisory Council. Cooperation must be improved at corporate level between chains based in different world regions.
  • Cooperation can involve:
    • sharing of information on potential threats 
    • sharing of information on disaster preparedness
  • Form a series of Task Forces made up of GC members broken down by potential threats:
    • Terrorism
    • Viral outbreaks
    • Natural or manmade disasters
• Identify where these threats are common across regions of the world
• Share best practices and lessons learnt :
  • among companies with properties in national disaster tsunami / hurricane-prone areas such as the Caribbean and South East Asia coastal areas
  • to develop crisis preparedness programmes and contingency plans applicable to both.
• Make some form of Best Practise/Guidelines/Recommendations on Safety & Security available outside the General Council (to other operators, the public, international organisations, media) through IH&RA

. What can IH&RA do generally building on the work of the Global Council?

• Support and encourage members – both national hospitality associations and international and national hotel chains and independent properties – by pooling information and acting as a communication portal before, during and after crises.
• Foster information share across borders. For example, as the industry prepares for possible Avian Flu pandemic, work now to receive instruction and experiences from operators and associations that have had similar experiences (SARS in Asia Pacific, BSE Epidemic in the UK).
• Encourage and act to improve industry response worldwide in times of crises
• Foster good relations with the media to ensure that the proactive work of the industry is being reported to enhance industry image, but without divulging details about industry security policies.

Current IH&RA Position on Safety & Security - under review by GC

IH&RA urges governments and organisations to step up security and safety campaigns at national level, and calls for more intensified international co-operation to prevent, counter and where possible control organised trans-national terrorism and crime.

IH&RA calls for greater co-ordination and attention to safety and security issues among decision-makers in both the public and private sectors.

IH&RA supports public service campaigns that address the subject of crime and terrorism prevention for travellers. These should aim to raise consumer awareness levels about crime and terrorism prevention and educate and inform travellers about how they can travel safely.

IH&RA supports the WTO Resolution on Tourist Security and WTO 7-Point Safety Action Plan, and other international programmes designed to improve the security of travellers and tourists. (very out of date!)

  IH&RA acts as an information source for members on existing safety & security programmes e.g. by making available programmes already developed by national association or multi-national corporate members.

IH&RA works with relevant international bodies in developing safety and security awareness programmes.

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