Faced with a PR crisis, how should travel brands respond? Andrew Hennigan hears some practical tips

An accident, a rogue employee, bad weather or simply a misunderstanding can suddenly land an unsuspecting travel business in a PR crisis. Online businesses could find themselves at the centre of a broader furore in mainstream media, while a bricks-and-mortar business might face a drama on social media. Dealing with these emergencies is challenging for any company but especially for the small and medium-sized companies that don’t have an in-house PR team standing by 24/7.

What should these companies do when a crisis breaks? Is there anything you can do to prepare in advance? And are there any simple rules that everyone should know? Here three seasoned experts in the field of travel PR share their tips and best practices.

The first is Alex Johnson, a consultant at Insignia Communications, a reputation management firm specialising in crisis communications. She has this to say.

Assume the worst will happen. A crisis is not the time to test how your team will act under pressure. Instead, plan ahead by identifying the crisis team and providing them with the skills and resources they need to respond appropriately.

·       Start talking. When a crisis hits, don’t hide away hoping it will blow over. You need to demonstrate you are aware of the situation and taking it seriously. Journalists look for news and information from every possible source. As the organisation at the centre of a crisis you must have a voice in the conversation.

·       Keep your staff informed. Ensure that frontline staff who could be answering calls, tweets or in-person enquiries about a crisis know what’s happening. They should regularly be provided with the latest information, know exactly what to say to whom and when to refer enquiries to others.

·       Stick to what you know: Media and other interested parties may push you to comment on what you think may have happened or who’s to blame – stick to the facts. You may not have a lot to say at first but it doesn’t matter.

The next expert to share views is Sue Ockwell, Managing Director at The Travel PR Company, a public relations company specialised in travel and lifestyle businesses:

·       Honesty is paramount. If you lie, you are likely to get caught out and you will suffer far more than if you are honest and admit fault.

·       One spokesperson is best. News journalists are not like travel journalists; they are tough and they have tough taskmasters too. They will find any cracks in what the company is saying, and cracks are more likely to appear if two or more people are speaking to the press.

·       Monitor social-media. This will help you pick up any comments quickly. If it’s a serious accident in Egypt you don’t want to be promoting a trip to Egypt on your website or Facebook channels at the same time. Brief your staff, asking them not to discuss on their personal Facebook account.

·       Be prepared for 24/7 work. If it’s a serious crisis and if different time zones are involved, you’ll be working long hours. Try to look after your staff with rotas, and ensure they eat properly and organise taxis to take them home in the early hours.

Last up is Chris Gilmour, Director at Only Crisis Management, a crisis communication specialist. “People who are inexperienced in dealing with negative situations usually make similar mistakes,” he says. The most common are burying heads in the sand, attempting a cover up, or trying to 'spin' their way out of trouble by obfuscation or downright lying. Don't try any of these. Instead, follow this simple action plan:

·       Don't panic. Keep calm and don't overreact. No situation is unmanageable, even if you have to take a kicking in the beginning.
·       Pick up the phone.  Get advice from somebody well-versed in crisis situations.
·       Establish the facts.Warts and all!
·       Be truthful. Dishonesty will always come back and bite you. You need to tell the truth...but tell it well.

Planning ahead

All of the experts agree that it is better not to wait until disaster strikes to start thinking about crisis PR.

“Put a crisis plan together,” says Ockwell. “ It helps enormously if you’ve at least thought through likely crisis scenarios and who would do what within your organisation.” 

You can pay specialists to do this for you if you don’t have time to do it for yourself. Managing crises is not cheap, so you could consider buying crisis management insurance. “Such policies cover air fares for family members and staff, physicians, engineering experts, counsellors, PR and legal work,” explains Ockwell.

Gilmour also takes a long-term view. “Don't focus only on the here and now - successful crisis management is all about long-term brand protection and rehabilitation, not just the latest social media thread or tomorrow's papers.”

Part of this crisis planning includes the identification of possible risks so that you can plan to deal with them. “Learn from others,” says Alex Johnson.

If you see others in the travel industry facing a crisis follow it closely. Think about how you could respond if the same happened to you. If so, how could you prevent it? Did they handle the crisis well? If yes, what worked well and what changes could you make?