Communicating in a crisis: The British Tourist Authority’s responses to the foot-and-mouth outbreak and 11th September, 2001

The tourism industry makes a significant contribution to the UK’s economy. Inbound tourism by visitors from overseas to Britain was badly disrupted in 2001 by the combined effects of the foot-and-mouth outbreak and the impact of 11th September on global travel trends. The British Tourist Authority (BTA), which promotes Britain as a destination in 27 markets overseas, developed a strategy to make use of additional government funding to boost visitor spending in Britain in 2002 and beyond. This paper explores the impact of the events of 2001 on Britain’s inbound tourism industry and provides an insight into the initiatives undertaken by the BTA on behalf of the industry.