Agents to gain travel trauma support service
Agency staff and customers are to be offered a support service for handling travel traumas.
The ABTA service, to be provided by the Centre for Crisis Psychology, will give access to a 24-hour telephone helpline, providing advice on protecting the welfare of customers, relatives and staff after an incident.
Agents can also decide whether they need further assistance from CCP’s other services, which include consultants travelling to destinations at short notice to support staff or holidaymakers and provide clinical intervention where necessary.
The company’s staff have worked with survivors on high profile emergencies affecting the travel industry, including 9/11, the Sharm El Sheikh bombings, tsunami and hurricanes.
CCP also provides support on incidents affecting smaller numbers of people, such as balcony falls and road traffic accidents.
It has been involved in more than 1,500 travel related incidents involving thousands of survivors and has responded to 5,000 incidents for its clients in the leisure, travel, financial and retail sectors worldwide.
ABTA will be holding a crisis management workshop on March 5 that will give members help with strategic, operational and PR help on how to prepare for a crisis.
ABTA head of consumer services and business development, Keith Richards said: “It is the first time ABTA members have had open access to discuss proactive, psychological assistance.
“If companies can properly manage the stress and trauma staff and customers suffer as a result of a serious incident, then not only have they morally done the right thing, but they have also potentially saved their business.”
CCP clinical partner Martin Alderton said: “Often, if we are brought in early after an incident, we can provide brief intervention that will avert the need for long-term support and counselling.”
by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Digital Travel Reporter of the Mirror totally seduced by HotelPlanner AI Travel Agent
Strike action set to cause travel chaos at Brussels airports