Social protection:
Risks and crisis management

It is evident and well documented that any major disruption to the security or safety of any tourist destination – from natural or man-made threats (Terrorism, Tsunami, SARS, H5N1 /Avian Flu) will have an immediate effect on demand for visits to that destination and a sharp impact through the loss of employment in tourism and related industries.

The effects on employment and the well-being of enterprises in tourism destinations can be attenuated if the tourism authorities succeed in managing the situation well. The constituents of the ILO, at the Informal Meeting held in October 2001 emphatically recommended tripartite cooperation to mitigate the social impact of slumps in tourism demand.

Responding to the continuous employment slump in the tourism industry, especially in Asia and the Pacific, the International Labour Organization (ILO) held a Tripartite Regional Meeting on Employment in the Tourism Industry for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok (Thailand), 15 -17 September 2003. A background paper to this meeting is available: Employment and human resources in the tourist industry in Asia and the Pacific (pdf, 1794k).

The Meeting was also presented with a paper on Tourism Employment in the Asia-Pacific Region 2003 (pdf, 133k). The Meeting adopted a set of Conclusions (pdf, 37k) on the following issues: Crisis Management; Employment Creation; Working Conditions and Human Resources Development; International Labour Migration; and Social Dialogue.

The ILO together with the Thai government and UNDP published a project report on Post Tsunami Livelihood Recovery in the Tourism Sector in Phuket and Phang Nga Thailand (pdf, 749k). The project aimed at assisting workers and employers affected by the tsunami to increase their capacity for acting on workers’ employability and revenue generation, as well as helping specific organizations servicing them to meet their needs.

The ILO is also involved in risk assessment and crisis management by the IHRA and the UNWTO. See also: www.sos.travel (Emergency Response System).