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Terrorist attack in Mumbai

(image above from huffington post)

News of this attack came just as I was leaving for a Thanksgiving trip so this post originally had re-posts of news reports and asked for firsthand accounts. Now that I’m back with access to the internet and a chance to catch up on the full details, I will start posting some more useful information.

First of all, the NY Times published an article called “Citizen Journalists Provide Glimpses Into Attacks” where they refer to Harvard Professor Arun Shanbhag who describes his firsthand account with commentary and photos on his blog arunshangbhag.com. Residing in Boston, he happened to be in Mumbai during the attacks. The article continues to talk about all of the various online channels we, everyday citizens, have at our disposal to share photos, videos, and more with the rest of the world. Just think if we had Twitter and if blogs were prevalent during our 9/11? At this point, where there are more questions that answers, everyone is a news source. Just be careful not to get caught up in rumors that are equally viral during major events such as the attcks on Mumbai. As I begin reading through Arun’s account on his blog, my first reaction is why was he and so many people able to get so close to the death and destruction? He has some real close-ups of blood stained sidewalks (i know, hold your tummies if you decide to look) that I would think should be restricted areas of travel.

BBC News posted accounts of 5 survivors in an article called “Eyewitness: Mumbai Survivors“. The consistent thread in these reports seems to be that the police were late to arrive and seemed ill prepared to respond fully.

Another NY Times article, “The Personal Sting of Terrorism” has a youtube link to India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s address to the nation (I’m posting it below) along with some harsh criticism about his delayed response, stoic expression, and lack of issuing any condeming words. The fingers will certainly be pointing everywhere as this crisis unfolds.

2 Responses to "Terrorist attack in Mumbai"

Gustavo Cavaliere says:

November 30, 2008 at 4:21 pm

I take a great pleasure in contacting you.

The present letter was sent to hundreds of Hoteliers for the past two months, and another terrorist attack at luxury hotels just happened, this time in Mumbai, but still nobody is listening.
I just hope that Hoteliers are ready now to take action and prevent this to happen to their properties.

Last September deadly blast at Marriott Hotel in Islamabad was especially shocking for me.
Four months ago I personally sent a Newsletter to several Hotel Organizations, Luxury Hotel General Managers, Owners, Tourism Boards and others in regards to this matter, but it looks like nobody is listening!!

Attacks like this happened before and will happen again and again, and we, all the people who work in the Hospitality business must face this reality and do whatever it takes to minimize any future undesirable outcomes.
Our guests and employees are dying, but it looks like nobody is listening.

Despite the severity of some terror attacks on hotels, it is highly unlikely that we will see significant security measures, legislation or funding allocated to defend lodging facilities. Hotels presently do not have adequate defense measures in place should suicide bombers accelerate their terror timetable against hotels and their security protocols are incomplete and obsolete.

I take as an example the city of Dubai.
Has being said that the recurring subject of dinner party conversations by the beach-side villas in this city has not been “will it happen here?” but “why hasn’t it happened yet?”

Regardless the open discussion towards to the veracity of what was stated, the targets are certainly everywhere.
The reality is that a direct attack on Dubai, Macau or any other urban wonderland would knock the image of them causing a diversity of casualties and commercial damages. Then the after-dinner conversation will surely change to “will it happen again?”

From seven-star hotels to luxury malls, casinos and cruise ships to some very unique hidden paradisiacal resorts, many cities worldwide are a smorgasbord of choice for any lunatic, New York , London and Madrid are heartbreaking examples. Who will be next?
Seems to me that Hotel General Managers, Hospitality Directors and other Corporate Management members still don´t understand that the terrorists success to a Hotel attack is a result of them being focused in their only objective and their decision to do whatever it takes to accomplish their task, manager’s don´t.

To clarify this, a terrorist job is much easier than most Hotel managers. Hoteliers have more pressure!
General Managers are focused on their budget, the next meeting, the image of their brand and many other corporative and managerial time consuming demanding tasks, and, as a result, do not perceive the actual vulnerability of their properties, their high risk and the fact that utilizing the resources that they already have, all their properties, employees and guests could be much better secured.
The major difference between the most and least successful executives is the latter’s lack of awareness. Successful executives are critical of their own performance and are continuously looking to get feedback on their performances.

Hotel Corporations did not made the decision to have “The best secured Hotel”. Guests, employees and their own Hotel security are still relegated, they are not a priority. Most of the top luxury Hotels of the world have today immense security breaches making them incredibly vulnerable.
Tourism Corporations race to the first and best in everything, service, quality, luxury, you name it. Spa´s, Casinos, Cruises, Airlines and others hire the best’s chefs, managers and directors to run their properties around the world, purchase high end security technology to protect their assets, spending millions of shareholders funds, but they still insecure and are at high risk.

Corporations in the Tourism Industry already have essential tools; the problem is that they are not taking advantage of them. Actually, these priceless tools they have, useless today, are more a problem for them rather than a passport to a safer Hotel. There is no need for more sophisticated machinery.

The Feedback Company has designed a simple and effective process that offers a solution to Hotels, Airlines and Cruise Ships that minimize the risk of a possible successful attempt against your company´s assets. Our program brings to the Tourism Industry Owners, Managers and Corporations the opportunity to evaluate and test their actual security capacity and protocols against a potential terrorist attack to their property.
We will expose your properties vulnerability and design a customized system utilizing your actual resources. We give feedback and solutions.
“The insider threat is real. It is a concern.”
Any terrorist attack to a Luxury Hotel, Resort or Casino would cause loss of life and hugely damage their business and country economy. Together with the Airline and Cruise ship industry, Hotels are very easy soft targets regardless of the amount, size or importance of their actual security department performance or equipment.
There is no need for another award celebration, ribbons or councils. The “Safest Hotel Award” should be a tight first place tie between all of us in the Tourism Industry.

As part of The Feedback Company´s commitment to have a safer tourism industry and to have Hotel Corporations to create a conscience of the high risk they are facing. I personally invite all owners, managers, directors or CEO´s from any Hotel, Airline or Cruise ship Corporations to have one of their properties evaluated at no cost and to comprehend their vulnerability. This offer is valid worldwide.

As off today, you still have time to act and prevent unwanted situations like the one happened last September at the Marriot Hotel . Unwanted situation that is actually feasible in many beautiful worldwide Hotel properties.
The question remains which Hotel will be next.?

Is time to act, anticipate and minimize any possibility of another Hotel terrorist hit. Anything done to prevent one more victim is valid.
We can help, and together assemble a safer Tourism Industry.

Kind Regards,

Gustavo Cavaliere
CEO – Executive Director
The Feedback Company
http://www.thefeedbackcompany.org
gcc@thefeedbackcompany.org

Global Hoteliers Club Member
miguel says:

December 3, 2008 at 5:31 pm

Its the decentralization of information distribution. Mumbai terrorist attack was heart breaking. This is an example that terrorists don’t have to use spectacular techniques to hold a city hostage.

Although, I doubt it would get as far as it did in an american city. There were many factors that led to the massive death count. Hmmm, like the fact that Mumbai didn’t have a swat team or equivalent.

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