Crisis Management and Hurricane Readiness and Response
Hurricane Comin’… Be Prepared
HURRICANE READINESS
BHTA Keeping Eye on Storms….Resources Shared With Members
Anticipating an active season, BHTA and the Ministry of Tourism are maintaining a state of readiness to coordinate industry preparedness and response, should storms threaten. The Ministry chairs a coordination task force, which we support, specifically for the tourism industry as part of the National Emergency Management Agency’s overall disaster readiness and response activities. Meetings have been held with all stakeholders on the task force.
Below you will find links to download several documents to support your preparation.
An Overview of Readiness Activities of The Bahamas Hotel & Tourism Association and Recommended Planning Steps for Members
(Members are advised to download the following PDF files and complete the steps in the hurricane preparedness plan well in advance and annually….)
While the chance in any given year of a specific island in the stretch of The Bahamas chain getting a direct hit from a strong hurricane is small, one must always be prepared. The Bahamas Hotel & Tourism Association, working in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism, plays an important role in ensuring that the tourism industry is adequately prepared to handle the impact of hurricanes and natural disasters.
The Bahamas Hotel & Tourism Association primary role is to serve as a communication point for the industry. In that regard, BHTA maintains an up-to-date listing of contact information for coordination purposes with the industry, overseas travel partners, Government, and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). Following is an overview of BHTA´s hurricane cancellation policy, the association’s program of preparation, and planning steps for members to consider.
Industry Hurricane Cancellation Policy
BHTA maintains a Hurricane Cancellation Policy, which has been in place for a number of years. The policy considers travellers who would either need to postpone or cancel their vacation in The Bahamas.
The agreed policy gives the vacationer a choice of using deposits or payments toward a future stay at the same property in The Bahamas, or in the event that the vacationer cannot travel to The Bahamas at all, it provides the vacationer with a full refund.
Although it is not mandatory that all hotels in The Bahamas should adopt the Hurricane Cancellation Policy, properties that are members of BHTA have been encouraged to adopt it. The Bahamas Hotel & Tourism Association also encourages hotels which are not members of the association to extend the goodwill policy to their guests. Furthermore, the BHTA encourages its members to be considerate in respect to hotel rates in cases in which guests must stay in the country beyond their original date of departure.
BHTA’s Hotel Cancellation Policy is designed to facilitate the comfort of guests as well as to protect the reputation of hotels and the destination of The Bahamas.
Islands Of The Bahamas Hurricane Kit 2019: by Bahamas Ministry of Tourism – NEW
Hurricane Emergency Coordinating Committee Procedure Manual – Draft procedure manual outlining its objectives
Ministry of Tourism & Aviation (MOTA) Hurricant Preparedness Plan – MOTA procedure manual outlining its objectives
BHTA Hurricane Preparedness Plan – UPDATED
Distress Customer Policy – BHTA believes it important for hoteliers to consider implementing a goodwill policy to their guests in the event a major incident that disrupts the guest’s travel plans
Hurricane Readiness Procedures Manual – specifically for hotels (with applicability to most businesses)
Insurance Readiness & Tips – prepared by Smith Orloff & Associates
2019 Bahamas Emergency Shelters (NEMA) – NEW
In addition to the publications offered relative to the Bahamas, persons can educate themselves via other resources such as the National Hurricane Center:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
https://www.weather.gov/safety/hurricane-outreach
