Heroes and Villains – Tour Operator and Media Response to Crisis: An Exploration of Press Handling Strategies by UK Adventure Tour Operators

Abstract

As news dissemination quickens, and consumer awareness increases, strategies employed to handle press during crisis will have far-reaching implications on the reputations of adventure tour operators, and the industry. Exploring the strategies used by three tour operators who have experienced crisis provides some insight into how press handling can affect subsequent UK press reporting. The research examined notions of crisis, the need to appreciate the existence of crisis, the role of media, the key stakeholders involved, and how actual response to a situation can affect media attention. Qualitative analysis of newspaper articles and interviews with key representatives produced conclusions suggesting that companies must be prepared to acknowledge the potential for crisis, and employ crisis techniques that incorporate a press handling strategy. There are many external factors affecting media reporting; however, when a crisis does occur the way in which the press is handled will affect public perception. While recognising there is no control over the media, a prepared response can result in fair reporting and as such can be argued to form an essential part of business operations.

Instructors’ Perspectives on Risk Management within Adventure Tourism

“…If the instructor is found negligent, this can have a long-term detrimental effect on the business, accentuating the need for instructors to take their duty of care and risk assessments seriously to ensure operational sustainability of adventure tourism (Stanbury et al 2005).…”

“…The media do not necessarily work in favour of the sector in relation to advertising the risks. Stanbury et al (2005) discuss the ways in which a crisis in adventure tourism can have a destructive and negative impact, especially in the handling of the media. This emphasises the need for the instructor to portray themselves correctly, minimise risks and handle incidents effectively.…”

Adventure Tourism as a ‘New Frontier’ in Leisure

“…There are many other published studies, for example, Stanbury, Pryer & Roberts (2005) examine the impact of press handling strategies by UK adventure tour operators and Curtin and Wilkes (2005) explork how British wildlife tour companies operate throughout the world, but the work emerging from and/or based in New Zeoland is arguably the most comprehensively developed (see, for example Chisholm and Shaw 2004, Kane & Zink 2004, Curry 2004, Cloke & Perkins 1998. The information available about actual adventure tourists comes from market research, surveys which are linked with a certain type of respondent who exhibits identifiable behaviours whilst pursuing adventure.…”

Biosecurity, tourism and mobility: institutional arrangements for managing tourism-related biological invasions

“…The one topic which has seen considerable attention is with respect to the role of international tourism and travel in the movement of disease and pests (Brownlie et al, 2006;Budd, Bell, & Brown, 2009;De Hart, 2003;Hall, 2003Hall, , 20072010b;Hulme, 2009;Massey, 1933;Mouchtouri et al, 2008;Tatem, 2009;Tatem & Hay, 2007;, and the effects that epidemics and pandemics can also have on travel and tourism destinations (Sharpley & Craven, 2001;Stanbury, Pryer, & Roberts, 2005). Colizza, Barrat, Barthelemy, andVespignani (2006, p. 2019) report that 'the air-transportation-network properties are responsible for the global pattern of emerging diseases'.…”