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Tuesday, Mar 19, 2024
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Safety Sells

Orange County is in the position to pick up some travelers who are shying away from popular Mexican vacation spots amid drug-related violence in the country.

Local hotels are hoping OC’s reputation as a safe beachfront location will help attract meetings business as well.

“Given the tough economy, tourism destinations and businesses are looking for any competitive advantage, and there’s no question that safety and security can be an effective selling point,” said Dave Wiggins, a veteran of California law enforcement and past president of the Anaheim-based California Tourism Safety & Security Association.

A 2004 survey commissioned by that association said that more than half of OC’s visitors rank safety and security as important factors in choosing a vacation destination. And about 40% said they were factors in deciding whether to attend a convention or trade show.

Convention organizers for groups such as the Shriners of North America and the Religious Education Congress have cited safety as one reason they choose to come to OC.


Early Leader

Anaheim was an early leader in tourism safety. The visitor and convention bureau, Anaheim Police Department and the city of Anaheim formed a partnership to help protect tourists before the terrorist attacks of 2001.

Since then, others in OC have joined the effort.

Garden Grove has had its own tourist-oriented policing program for six years, where members of the police department work with the visitor industries and take part in yearly educational seminars staged in Anaheim.

Irvine gets mileage from its ranking as one of America’s safest cities, based on FBI data about violent crimes.

“It’s a huge draw for us,” said Jennifer McLaughlin, director of tourism for the Irvine Chamber of Commerce Visitors Bureau.

Tour operators, convention organizers and meeting planners often ask about safety and security before booking their groups, according to visitors bureaus.

“Clients ask how we keep customers safe and what communities are doing,” said Ann Gallaugher, vice president of tourism development for the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau.

Terrorist incidents such as the hotel attack earlier this year in Mumbai and the ongoing violence and new health threats in Mexico have renewed the focus on safety in tourist destinations.

But tourist safety issues also extend beyond fears of terrorism or contagious diseases.

Gloria Lan, president of Tour America Inc. in Los Angeles, said security issues are of particular concern to the Asian market because they carry a lot of cash when they travel.

Tour America brings leisure, business and special interest groups to the U.S. from China, Hong Kong and other parts of Asia.

Recessionary times often bring a spike in petty thefts, scams and crimes of opportunity that can affect visitors. Recent issues in OC visitor destinations have included an increase in laptop computer thefts, theft of audio-visual equipment from hotels and auto burglaries that target GPS devices, Wiggins said. One hotel reported the theft of TV monitors from fitness equipment.

Con artists also come out of the woodwork during recessions and increasingly turn to online sites to sell their phony wares, such as fake concert or sporting event tickets.


Prevention

In Anaheim, the police department, hotel security officers and hotel sales teams get together monthly to review the latest crime trends, discuss solutions and share information about recent incidents.

That often helps thwart the spread of criminal activity.

To help prevent petty thefts, Corporal Mike Fehr of the Garden Grove Police Department said his team issues “crime hazard warnings” to hotel guests by placing notices on cars that remind people to lock their vehicles and remove valuable items, including GPS devices, when they leave their cars.

“When people come on vacation, they sometimes leave their common sense at home,” he said.

The alerts are simply reminders about avoiding a potential loss. Similar reminders are placed in the city’s hotel rooms, he said.

Budget constraints in a weak economy can thwart some efforts to prevent and reduce tourist-related crimes, but convention and visitor bureaus still can be proactive in pursuing visitor safety, local industry watchers say.

Gallaugher said cities and visitor bureaus can form partnerships with their police forces, educate tourist-related businesses about safety issues and share best practices on a citywide basis. They can also send those in the tourism industry to safety and security training sessions, such as the 10th annual Safety and Security Conference that is slated for Anaheim this week.

“You can limit your own liability through education classes and it doesn’t cost anything,” Gallaugher said.

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