Information Package / Course Catalogue
Crisis Management in Travel Businesses
Course Code: TTS129
Course Type: Required
Couse Group: Short Cycle (Associate's Degree)
Education Language: Turkish
Work Placement: N/A
Theory: 2
Prt.: 0
Credit: 2
Lab: 0
ECTS: 2
Objectives of the Course

The objective of this course is to enable students to identify the types of crises that may arise in the travel industry, understand pre-crisis risk analysis and preparedness processes, acquire the necessary communication and operational management skills to handle crises effectively, and evaluate post-crisis recovery processes.

Course Content

This course covers key topics related to operational, financial, legal, health, safety, transportation, and reputation crises that may arise in the travel industry; pre-crisis risk analysis and preparedness processes; methods for effective communication with customers, employees, and suppliers during a crisis; the development of crisis management plans; social media and reputation management; insurance and legal liabilities; and post-crisis recovery and evaluation processes.

Name of Lecturer(s)
Learning Outcomes
1.Explains the types of crises that may arise in the travel industry and their impact on business operations.
2.Evaluates the importance of conducting risk analysis in travel agencies, tour operators, and receiving agencies.
3.Develops solutions for crises that may arise in tour, transfer, reservation, transportation, and customer relations processes.
4.Explains the importance of maintaining effective communication with customers, suppliers, employees, and public institutions during a crisis.
5.Analyzes the processes of preparing a basic-level crisis management plan and conducting post-crisis evaluations for travel businesses.
Recommended or Required Reading
1.Çakmak, T. F. (2019). Turizm Endüstrisinde Bütüncül Yaklaşımla Kriz Yönetimi ve Örnek Olaylar (1. baskı). Ankara: Detay Yayıncılık.
2.Prideaux, B., & Beirman, D. Eds. (2024). Handbook on Crisis and Disaster Management in Tourism (1st ed.). Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing. ISBN: 978-1-83910-537-1;
Weekly Detailed Course Contents
Week 1 - Theoretical
The concept of operations in the travel industry, the distinction between a crisis and an operational crisis, and the importance of crisis management in travel agencies, tour operators, and receiving agencies.
Week 2 - Theoretical
The general workflow of reservation, ticketing, accommodation, transfer, tour organization, guiding, supplier relations, customer information, and post-sales service processes.
Week 3 - Theoretical
Incorrect reservations, incomplete data entry, date errors, room type discrepancies, insufficient capacity, overbooking, failure to receive confirmation, and reservation cancellation issues.
Week 4 - Theoretical
Flight cancellations, delays, missed connections, name errors, ticket changes, lost luggage, charter flight issues, and operational disruptions in land and sea transportation.
Week 5 - Theoretical
Airport pickup issues, failure to locate the passenger, vehicle delays, misdirection to the wrong vehicle, vehicle breakdowns, traffic, road closures, and crises during hotel drop-off and pick-up processes.
Week 6 - Theoretical
No availability at the hotel, complaints about room standards, discrepancies regarding accommodation type, check-in/check-out issues, early check-out, late check-in, extra expenses, and communication problems between the hotel and the travel agency.
Week 7 - Theoretical
Delays in the tour itinerary, guide not showing up, vehicle changes, closed attractions, weather conditions, loss of customers, tour cancellation, changes to the tour route, and customer complaints.
Week 8 - Intermediate Exam
Assessment of the topics covered in Weeks 1–7. A midterm exam will be administered covering the concept of operational crises and crises encountered in reservations, ticketing, transportation, transfers, accommodations, and tour operations.
Week 9 - Theoretical
Issues caused by tour guides, transfer drivers, sales representatives, and operations staff; negligence, lack of communication, misinformation, staff shortages, and service quality crises.
Week 10 - Theoretical
Disruptions involving hotels, transportation companies, restaurants, tour guides, museums/historical sites, car rental companies, and local service providers; alternative supplier planning.
Week 11 - Theoretical
Customer dissatisfaction, mismanagement of expectations, insufficient information, communication issues stemming from language and cultural differences, and complaint handling and solution-oriented communication.
Week 12 - Theoretical
Reservation system errors, data loss, incorrect data entry, system outages, payment issues, missing digital documents, online sales channel problems, and digital risks in operational tracking.
Week 13 - Theoretical
Pre-crisis preparation, checklists, emergency communication chain, alternative hotel/vehicle/guide plans, task distribution during a crisis, operational reports, and post-crisis evaluation.
Week 14 - Theoretical
A comprehensive review of all topics covered in the course.
Week 15 - Final Exam
A final exam is administered covering reservation, ticketing, transfers, accommodation, tour operations, guiding, supplier management, customer communication, digital systems, and operational crisis planning in the travel industry.
Assessment Methods and Criteria
Type of AssessmentCountPercent
Assignment1%10
Quiz1%10
Midterm Examination1%20
Final Examination1%60
Workload Calculation
ActivitiesCountPreparationTimeTotal Work Load (hours)
Lecture - Theory140228
Quiz2012
Midterm Examination110111
Final Examination110111
TOTAL WORKLOAD (hours)52
Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes
PÇ-1
PÇ-2
PÇ-3
PÇ-4
PÇ-5
PÇ-6
PÇ-7
PÇ-8
OÇ-1
5
2
1
2
1
2
4
5
OÇ-2
4
2
1
2
1
3
5
5
OÇ-3
4
2
1
4
1
3
5
5
OÇ-4
3
3
1
5
2
2
4
5
OÇ-5
4
3
1
3
1
3
5
5
Adnan Menderes University - Information Package / Course Catalogue
2026