CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY FOR MADAGASCAR

In February 2018, UNWTO began providing technical assistance to the National Tourism Board of Madagascar to create a Crisis Communications Strategy, by conducting an in-depth review of existing protocols and institutional coordination for crisis communications.

UNWTO is assessing training needs for both public sector and media, and formulating a crisis communications strategy featuring step-by-step protocols, templates for different types of crisis and media to be addressed, guidelines for measuring effectiveness, best practices, and a guide to using social media.

The project, in collaboration with World Bank Madagascar, aims to minimize the impact of crises on a country with a view to doubling international visitor numbers by 2020 from their 2016 level of 293,000. In 2017 Madagascar received 255,000 international arrivals, almost 13% fewer than 2016, due to changing perceptions of security and health risks and media reports on events in the country, such as a four-month plague outbreak.

From the project, UNWTO has learned that some tourism stakeholders in Madagascar have experienced difficulties in managing unpredictable but recurrent crises, as well as in communication methods.

The next step of the project is to present the final version of the Strategy on Crisis Communications in October 2018 to be implemented by the Madagascar National Tourism Board and all the stakeholders involved.

Participants of the training on crisis communication strategy and media relations held in Antananarivo, Madagascar from 11-15 June 2018.