Jerusalem to host first ever International Tourism and Security Summit
The first International Tourism and Security Summit will take place in Jerusalem October 7-9. The event aims at providing practical tools for managing global tourism in an age when bad news can fly across the world at the click of a button and affect the travel plans of millions of people.
The conference will bring together different sectors to learn how to manage media during different crises that can affect tourism – and in turn, whole economies.
The programme includes presentations from leading scholars and practitioners, focusing on global best practices, research and its implications, and fresh technology and innovation. Among others, the sessions will explore the process of preparing, managing and recovering from terrorism incidents and crisis events; crisis communication management case studies; destination resilience marketing best practices; social media marketing during and following a crisis, and more.
The ITSS opening session will provide an up-to-date overview of global security threats and their effect on the tourism industry in OECD countries; the session will examine the role of marketing and public relations in managing proactive communication prior to, during and following a crisis.
The digital arena session will host the world’s leading online organizations, sharing their experience in real-time mitigation of crises and illuminating the digital impact of crises on online consumer behavior, bookings, risk perceptions, sense of security, destination image and social media conversation.
The destinations and attractions session will focus on the real-life experience of Turkey and Jerusalem in facing security crises, and the methods employed for effective and speedy recovery. The session will also look into the Chinese market responds to crises.
The public relations session will host some of the leading PR professionals in travel and tourism to discuss image recovery tactics, sending counter-messages to create a sense of security, re-framing media coverage, and social media as a powerful tool for battling stereotypes and altering a negative image.
The ITSS offers great networking opportunities, serving as a meeting point for NTOs and DMOs, public sector officials, destination marketers, security professionals, and decision makers from different segments of the tourism industry: tour operators, hoteliers, cruise lines and airlines. During the summit, participants are encouraged to extend their network, hold meetings, exchange ideas, share experiences and explore new business opportunities.
The conference is organized by the Ministry for Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage, Ministry of Tourism, the Jerusalem Development Authority (JDA) and the Israel Incoming Tourism Operators Association.
