In his first public comments on how Charlottesville’s tourism agency responded after a violent rally there led to a fatality, Kurt Burkhart had this message for other convention and tourism bureaus: Plan ahead and be prepared.
Burkhart, executive director of the Charlottesville Albemarle Convention & Visitors Bureau, said destination-marketing agencies “are on the front lines” when violent incidents occur because the public wants to know when and if a city is safe.
That’s why it’s important to have a crisis communications plan.
Burkhart talked about crisis communications and what his agency had learned from the events of Aug. 11-12, when the “Unite the Right” rally was held in Charlottesville. He spoke during a panel discussion Tuesday at the VA1 Tourism Summit in Norfolk.
