Hospitality Risk Management
Cayuga Hospitality Consultants are experienced in assessing an overall operation and its facilities to develop plans and actions to avoid injury, financial loss and litigation. From ensuring that a property’s insurance coverage meets the highest standards and widest range of potential liabilities, while at the same time protecting the owner’s costs associated with the policies, to evaluating an operation’s policies and procedures, Cayuga consultants possess years of experience and have performed countless advisory services to hotel, resorts, restaurants and commercial foodservice operations, spas and clubs and casino operations.
Owners and operators must have comprehensive security training, recovery plans, data and network back-up procedures, and information security breach management policies to name just a few of today’s emerging business challenges. Cayuga’s hospitality risk management consultants have the knowledge to assist in developing these and other tools to manage unforeseen operational and reputational issues that may arise from incidents of business interruption or failure.
Contact us today to learn more about our hospitality risk management consulting.
Hotel Security Management
Terrorist attacks and threats against the hospitality industry, whether large international chains or individual properties have grown alarmingly since 9/11. By attacking soft targets (targets that are not major public or government centers or sites) terrorists have improved their chances to achieve their objectives which include inflicting higher numbers of causalities, causing extensive property damage, and undermining the well-being and public morale of local, as well as national populations.
The hospitality and tourism industries, which in this case refer to hotels, malls (including large complexes such as gaming/mall/hotel complexes, etc.), mega-events and transportation services, are certainly natural targets: the effects of attacks on such sites are obvious and far-reaching. A well-placed bomb in a hotel lobby could cause much more damage and casualties than an airborne bomb.
Israel’s Former National Police Commissioner, Assaf Heffet, believes that utilizing state-of-the-art technologies in conjunction with improved, modern security measures and approaches do in fact improve overall security in addition to addressing terrorism concerns. He recommends a professional security assessment should be conducted at each individual site by a qualified company. The company should have experience and expertise in the hospitality industry. Plans should be cost-effective, prioritized, and implemented in stages to cover all aspects of an overall security program.
Israeli experience demonstrates how improved security systems and programs can be implemented cost-effectively utilizing existing budgets without major investments.
Implement the Three Security Circles
There are three concentric “security circles” which combine physical design with technology and manpower.
Circle 1: Perimeter and access: Creating more distance from public roads is essential (keeping the traffic moving). Entrances can be manned by guard booths, electronic gates and other systems. CCTV is very important in guarding the perimeter.
Circle 2: Areas from Building to Perimeter: these areas are where access is controlled, including vehicles. The stand-off area (space from car to building) is vitally important as the further a vehicle is allowed to come toward a structure, typically the more damage occurs from car bombs. Various barriers and obstacles can be created to reduce the potential for ramming (speed bumps, winding driveways, bollards, Jersey barriers, landscaping, etc.). This area also requires extensive use of CCTV.
Circle 3: Building Structure: Balancing aesthetic quality with effective security is an art. As mentioned, there are numerous design elements such as access points, floor plans, luggage and mail rooms (blast proof), minimization of debris from blasts, CCTV coverage, barriers and dividers, window glazing, reducing spaces where items can be hidden, blast and ballistic proof materials, etc.
Contact us today to learn more about our hotel security consulting.
Terrorism and the Hospitality Industry
The 2015 terrorist attacks at Sousse Beach and the Bardo National Museum in Tunis in Tunisia, leaving 59 dead (mostly Europeans) are grim reminders that Hospitality/Tourism is no longer immune from the risk of terrorism.
In fact, tourism is an ideal target because of the open, free environments that tourists expect. Hotel groups are faced with the dilemma of providing low-profile security measures with comfortable, risk-free settings.
Local governments, hotel groups, and related industries must find ways to protect their investments and clientele. Immediate action is necessary to deal with the current situation. Israeli experience, under the leadership of former Israel National Police Commissioner, Assaf Heffetz, can help support industry efforts to adapt to these conditions with proven knowledge and expertise.
The Challenges
There are two major security challenges facing the industry:
- Improving the security environment for hotels and resorts to continue to flourish amidst potential threats.
- Implementation of a major worldwide PR campaign that promotes a positive image, assuring potential tourists that management has taken the appropriate measures for tourism to thrive in a safer, more secure environment.
The TIX Group:
Our team of Israeli experts, along with our American partners, offers decades of knowledge and expertise in various disciplines relating to security preparedness. Commissioner Heffetz has held the responsibility of protecting the public and private sectors in Israel and consults worldwide. It is this combined experience that can help provide businesses and government agencies with increased risk prevention approaches.
We are available to explore consulting and training options that can help the tourism industry:
- Emergency contingency planning (ECP).
- Public and personnel training in awareness and intelligence concepts.
- Behavior detection techniques.
- Development of an all-hazard security policy and procedural manual.
- Crisis communications/public relations and media/spokesperson training
- Security assessments or upgrades of existing assessments.
TIX ECP is a concept that has been developed to help operators and owners upgrade security while keeping within budgetary constraints. It takes into account the need to maintain business continuity while upgrading security to levels required during crisis situations.
Recent acts of terrorism by Al Shabaab, ISIS, and Al-Queda have once again proven wrong those who have not had the foresight to take necessary security measures. While tourists generally are not comfortable with visible security measures and practices, in times of crisis, it is highly desirable.
The TIX Group believes that if management ignores investing in adequate security, while economically attractive, it poses serious financial risks for the hospitality, shopping center (and malls), and other travel-related industries. “The Israeli Experience (TIX) in Homeland Security” group consists of leaders experienced in Israel’s fight against terrorism. In the past several years, we have presented seminars on Israel’s experience in fighting terror to various organizations in the US including ICMA (International City/County Managers Association), NEMA (National Emergency Managers Association), MWCOG (Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments), and others.
TIX is a member of Cayuga Hospitality Consultants, the world’s most experienced network of independent hospitality consultants. TIX also is California POST (Peace Officers Standards and Training) accredited in Active Shooter training.
To learn more about TIX services, visit their website www.thetixgroup.com
