Public health risks pose significant threats to tourism internationally. This was starkly demonstrated with SARS. The World Travel and Tourism Council (2003) estimated that up to 3 million people lost their jobs in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Viet Nam and that SARS cost these economies over US $20 billion in loss of GDP. The world again faces a potential major threat of an Avian Influenza pandemic. Other communicable diseases including malaria, dengue fever, tuberculosis, typhoid and HIV/AIDS pose threats to safe tourism in many developing countries.

The impact of uncontrolled public health problems include:

• Guests, staff and community suffer unnecessary illness
• Negative impact on reputation, credibility and status
• No mitigating defence in litigation situations
• Negative publicity that can jeopardize public and consumer confidence in future business to the entity and region
• Threats to the economic viability of a region

 
The benefits of managing and mitigating public health risk include:

• Risk management
• Reputation management
• Employee benefit
• Community benefit

Health Services to Tourism Operators:
JTAI offers a comprehensive range of services to tourism operators to assist them to manage and mitigate public health risks and create a safe and healthy environment for their clients. Our services include:

• information on public health threats
• resort and location public health audit
• public health response
• disaster and pandemic planning
• public health risk management