Katrina and Yolanda: Sharing experiences

MANILA, Philippines - Just when worldwide attention on Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda was starting to calm down on the devastation and rehabilitation efforts for affected areas and people, two American travel executives quietly slipped into town to share their professional expertise on how to rebuild the global image of the Philippines as a dynamic tourism destination despite the destruction wrought by the deadliest typhoon on record.

Two top-ranking officials of the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau (NOCVB) of the state of Louisiana recently visited key tourist destinations in Metro Manila, Cebu and Boracay. They met with local government and travel trade officials to impart vital learning on tourism marketing and communications related to recovery efforts done after Hurricane Katrina, which had similarities with destinations devastated by Yolanda.

Executive vice president Brad Weaber and vice president for communication and public relations Kelly Schulz came upon invitation of the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), marketing arm of the Department of Tourism (DOT), and met with key stakeholders of the government and private sectors of the Philippine travel and tourism industry led by DOT Secretary Ramon Jimenez, Jr. and TPB chief operating officer Domingo Ramon Enerio III.

Weaber and Schulz shared their experience on how the NOCVB in 2005 counteracted bad news reports and other negative information from the all over the United States and around the world as an aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the deadliest and most destructive Atlantic tropical cyclone as well as the costliest natural disaster to hit the US in recent times.

Greater New Orleans, the state’s largest city, was the most affected area, with more than 1,833 deaths and property damage of $108 billion. Unprecedented lessons in crisis communication and marketing for the city’s  tourism industry, particularly its component for meetings, incentive travel, conventions and exhibitions or MICE, parallel that of what happened mainly to the island provinces of Leyte and Samar as well as to the image of the Philippines as a nation and as a tourist  destination.

“What made matters worse for the New Orleans case was there were neither real models nor any management study on natural disaster and man-made failure to lean on and apply right away for the unprecedented challenges. At the same time, negative or bad news about the whole disaster scenario were being read by target visitors and convention attendees worldwide,” Weaber said.

“Tourism and MICE are a critical part of an area’s recovery. Innovative marketing plans and creative public relations efforts checked misperceptions about the hurricane’s aftermath. Our primary was to restore the city’s image as a premiere leisure and convention destination. With our tagline ‘From Katrina to America’s Favorite City,’ New Orleans came back stronger and better,” Weaber added. 

According to Weaber, the relationships formed during this international mission will continue beyond their visit. NOCVB has committed to help spread the message to the tourism industry in Louisiana that the Philippines is a beautiful country and the Filipinos are the best hosts.

Gaining insights from New Orleans tourism leaders has been an invaluable process,” said Enerio. “For some reasons they missed out on Leyte and Samar during this visit. Nonetheless, the NOCVB shared their experiences and learnings, best practices and immediate recommendations on how the Philippines can regain its position as a leading tourist destination. We are optimistic towards and working on the recovery of tourism for the typhoon-hardest hit islands of Leyte and Samar. We want everyone to know that the other 7,105 tropical islands of the Philippines are still in business as ‘fun’ destinations as usual.”

Enerio also thanked Liz Jackson and Susan Sarfati, speakers during the Association Executives Summit in Manila last November. These two consultants of the American Society of Association Executives continue to endorse the Philippines a great venue for MICE to their colleagues in the US, including NOCVB.

Schulz, a native of New Orleans, experienced family trauma when catastrophe broke into their community. She moved on with her life by working with positive media news makers and influencers of influencers in national and international communication. 

“Part of rebuilding our image was inviting 700 international journalists over a period of time for them to experience New Orleans first-hand. Reporting their pleasant experiences in media is very powerful, because seeing is believing. Strategic communication tools and client testimonials ensure constant good news and headlines – the best public relations of all time. Part of our PR tactics are messages of peace and hope.  In our national recovery plan, we make sure negative images do not come back. We likewise exhibit new photos showing New Orleans more beautiful than ever,” Schulz  enthused.

As part of tourism promotions, the NOCVB also sought corporate generosity among airlines, popular sports teams, chefs of leading restaurants and even brought a typical New Orleans streetcar to New York’s Time Square and all over the US. With the additional use of the latest media technologies, they influenced the influencers to show their target audience and clients that New Orleans tourism is back in business.

Their marketing and communications efforts to promote New Orleans as well as programs implemented with the travel trade resulted in doubling the city’s visitor arrivals from an all-time low of 3.7 million to 9 million in just six years.              

Moreover until today, young and old volunteers continue to come in troves to help in rebuilding and recovery as part of their corporate social responsibility. This has now been institutionalized as voluntourism in Louisiana. Many of these voluntourists stayed on, married and resided in New Orleans.

At the end of their goodwill tour, these top travel executives gave copies of their tourism and MICE marketing plans for TPB to use as reference. A big charity ball in New Orleans will be organized and proceeds will be donated to the fishermen in the hardest hit places of the Eastern Visayas region.

“We are one travel industry colleague in spite of being two oceans apart. Your beaches are beautiful and open for business. Pictures of your sunny beaches should be published in US, which is now submerged in cold weather. Filipino service is from the heart, sincere, natural.  Your people have the purest of service. You are the best hosts in the world. Your friendship is very human. NOLA loves the Philippines,” Weaber capsulized their experience in the Philippines and among Filipinos.