Managing a health-related crisis: SARS in Singapore

Responses by the public and private sectors of the industry to the severe problems faced are assessed, and government is seen to have the especially difficult tasks of managing the spread of the disease and trying to protect and promote tourism at the same time.

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a new and potentially fatal virus, the discovery and spread of which created a tourism crisis in parts of Asia in 2003. Based on an analysis of secondary data, this study deals with the outbreak of the disease in Singapore and shows the adverse impact on international arrivals and domestic leisure activity. Responses by the public and private sectors of the industry to the severe problems faced are assessed, and government is seen to have the especially difficult tasks of managing the spread of the disease and trying to protect and promote tourism at the same time. Insights are provided into good practice during such difficult circumstances, although recovery appears to depend on the progress of any epidemic as much as on the strategies employed.