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Building Tourism Resilience in Moreton Bay: A Practical Crisis Management Program
In a region that knows both the beauty of nature and the unpredictability of it, Moreton Bay Region Industry & Tourism (MBRIT) partnered with Tourism Tribe to deliver a capability program designed to help local businesses prepare for the unexpected and recover stronger.
The Moreton Bay Industry and Tourism Resilience Program was delivered in 2024 to 14 businesses, combining in-person and online learning with access to Tourism Tribe’s Crisis Management Course. The aim? Equip businesses with the tools, strategies, and confidence to stay calm, communicate clearly, and bounce back from crisis.
Why This Program Was Needed
After floods, fires, health emergencies, and economic disruptions, one truth is clear – tourism businesses can’t afford to rely on good luck. Resilience isn’t about wishful thinking. It’s about having a plan.
In Moreton Bay, local operators needed support that was:
- Specific to tourism and visitor-facing businesses
- Action-oriented, not just theory
- Designed to improve communication and operational response in the face of disruption
This program was built in response to this need, helping small businesses build capability in crisis planning, digital readiness, and customer communication.
What the Program Included
The Moreton Bay Industry and Tourism Resilience Program included:
4-Hour In-Person Crisis Management Workshop
The program kicked off with a full morning session focused on real-world resilience. Delivered by Tourism Tribe’s expert facilitators, the workshop covered:
- Understanding the types of crises most likely to impact tourism
- Building an emergency communication plan
- Preparing crisis-ready content and messaging
- Creating an internal response structure for staff and stakeholders
- Tools and checklists for rapid response and recovery
Participants worked through practical exercises using their own businesses as case studies. The tone was supportive, realistic, and focused on small but powerful improvements each operator could make immediately.
Three Online Follow-Up Webinars
To reinforce learning and build momentum, the program included a series of one-hour webinars delivered live:
- Developing Your Emergency Comms Plan
- What to say, when to say it, and who should say it
- Templates and examples tailored for tourism
- Updating Your Digital Channels in a Crisis
- Why out-of-date messaging erodes trust
- Tips for fast updates to websites, social media, and Google Business Profiles
- Sustaining Recovery and Getting Visitors Back
- Moving from survival mode to proactive marketing
- Tools for storytelling and rebuilding reputation post-disruption
Each session included Q&A and live walkthroughs using example business scenarios.
Access to the Crisis Management Online Course
Participants were also given access to Tourism Tribe’s Crisis Management course – a step-by-step, self-paced toolkit covering everything from pre-crisis preparation to post-event communications.
This included:
- Editable emergency plan templates
- Real-world case studies from across regional Australia
- A module on media and stakeholder communication
- Lessons on using customer reviews and UGC post-crisis to rebuild reputation
Many participants commented that having this resource helped them cement their learning and revisit key topics when needed.
Who Participated
The program supported 14 diverse businesses from across the Moreton Bay region. These included:
- Tours and experience providers
- Accommodation
- Food and beverage
- Attractions
- Visitor-facing services
Participants ranged from early-stage operators to well-established businesses looking to update their systems and planning processes in line with best practice.
Despite differences in size and sector, a common thread emerged: a desire for confidence and clarity in the face of disruption and a readiness to learn.
What Changed for Businesses
While resilience might sound like a buzzword, for these operators it came down to concrete shifts in mindset and systems. Some key outcomes included:
- Writing and implementing emergency communication plans with ready-to-use messaging
- Updating key business documents (FAQs, cancellation policies, email templates) for crisis scenarios
- Gaining clarity on the digital channels that matter most during disruption
- Identifying the right platforms, people, and timing for communications
- Practising real-world messaging, including social posts and Google Business updates, before a crisis hits
- Feeling better prepared to lead their team and reassure customers when it matters most
Many businesses shared that the program helped reduce anxiety about future disruptions and gave them a clear roadmap to follow if something goes wrong.
Why It Worked: Lessons for Regional Delivery
Programs like this succeed not because they teach something new, but because they give businesses the time, support, and tools to actually do the work.
In this case, the mix of in-person and online delivery:
- Created early buy-in and energy
- Allowed businesses to apply learnings immediately
- Provided reinforcement and space for questions
- Catered to different learning styles and business maturity levels
Importantly, the program was tailored to the realities of tourism operators. The content focused on what to do with limited time, small teams, and rapidly changing conditions, not generic risk management theory.
How Tourism Tribe Can Support Your Region
If you’re part of a council, RTO, or industry association looking to build capability in your tourism sector, this program is proof that crisis management and resilience training doesn’t need to be overwhelming.
Tourism Tribe can help you:
- Design a program that suits your local businesses’ needs
- Deliver face-to-face and online support
- Provide practical tools and templates
- Equip operators with confidence, not just compliance
And yes – we can include digital audits, coaching, online courses, and post-program reporting depending on what suits your region’s goals and funding.
Explore our past programs or visit our Industry Training page to see how we help regional tourism grow stronger and smarter.
If you’d like to talk about a tailored program for your area, simply fill out the form at the bottom of the Industry Training page – we’d love to hear from you.
FAQ
What was the Moreton Bay Tourism Resilience Program?
A capability-building program for 14 tourism and visitor economy businesses, focusing on crisis management, emergency communication, and sustainable recovery.
What did it include?
An in-person workshop, three online webinars, and access to the Crisis Management Course through Tourism Tribe’s Digital Assistance Plans.
Who was it for?
Tourism and visitor-facing businesses in the Moreton Bay region — across accommodation, experiences, services, and hospitality.
Can this be done in other regions or countries?
Yes. Tourism Tribe delivers tailored programs for councils, LGAs, and industry groups across Australia and the world. We scale programs to suit regional needs and budgets.
Where to from here?
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