Kathmandu, January 25:

In order to increase the number of tourists that had declined drastically in past in, the tourism entrepreneurs have to formulate risk and crisis management plans in tourism, according to crisis management expert.

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) organised a seminar today on Risk and Crisis Management. “Risk can escalate in a crisis and a crisis can then intensify and become a disaster. It is however important to realise that risks and crisis can have a direct and an indirect impact on a destination,” said Bert Van Walbeek, a crisis management expert.

He narrated how the Thai Airways had formed a Crisis Management Team to cope with crisis after the Thai Air Crash in 1992. “If we expect the ‘unexpected’ and be well prepared beforehand then the crisis could be managed,” said Walbeek. According to him, whenever crisis happen, 33 per cent wonder what happened, 63 per cent watch things happen and only 4 per cent make things happen. Walbeek narrating his experiences as a hotelier said,”There is a need for skillful crisis handling.”