Be alert, but don’t be alarmed

In the wake of the September 11 attacks, the Australian Government launched a campaign entitled "be alert, not alarmed".

Every household was sent a fridge magnet with important numbers to call, just in case there was some sort of emergency and you happened to be getting a glass of milk at the time.

But while the dissemination of the message left a lot to be desired, the credo of being alert and not alarmed is certainly one that should be heeded in the industry in the wake of last year's terrorist attacks in India.

These terrorism attacks are the latest in a long line of acts that target foreigners, which is a reason for concern for many general managers across the Middle East given a large percentage of the clientele derives from international source markets.

So hoteliers need to be particularly alert - have you updated your security systems, do your emergency standard operating procedures hold up to scrutiny, and what are you doing to actively prevent your property becoming a target?

This is the crux of the sentiment ‘be alert': hoteliers must be lucky all the time, terrorists only need to be ‘lucky' once.

Given the service standards experienced at some properties in the region, it makes you shudder to think of what would happen if the hotel was under terrorist attack.

Would I, as a guest, really trust staff members to have my best interests at heart during a crisis given that many can't even be trusted to serve a coffee properly?

The second part of the Australian fridge magnet urges people to not be alarmed - perhaps slightly more difficult given the brazen and cruel nature of many of these attacks.

But in truth, it is this alarm that terrorists wish to create. They aim for us to fear them and what they might do. If we caved in to this fear and travellers decided to stay at home, the travel industry would be wiped out.

Hoteliers therefore have a duty to reassure their guests by demonstrating strong security procedures, maintaining an aura of vigilance while working closely with local authorities such as the police.

As Bill Marriott said after the bombing of the Islamabad Marriott, incidents like these should encourage us to travel more as it is only through cross-cultural communication that our areas of differences can be resolved.

The events in India were a tragedy, but it would be a greater tragedy if hoteliers across the Middle East didn't learn anything from it and didn't work harder to ensure it never happens at their property.

Chris Jackson is the senior editor of Hotelier Middle East.

RELATED LINK: Is 'Mumbai spirit' enough?

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