A new survey of more than 2,000 UK adults shows strong public support for national preparedness but also exposes low confidence in how ready workplaces are to handle disruption.

The poll, conducted by The Workforce Development Trust (parent company of People 1st International) following the launch of the government’s Resilience Action Plan, found that around 70% of people are willing to make small changes in their daily lives to strengthen national preparedness. Yet fewer than one in five believe their workplace is ready for a national emergency, and only 16% say they have received clear instructions on what to do in a crisis (such as a cyberattack, flood, or power outage).

For leaders in the visitor economy sector, where customer-facing staff are central to operations, these findings highlight the growing expectation for workplaces to plan, prepare, and give their people the confidence to keep services running when disruption strikes.

Workforce readiness under pressure

In recent years, businesses across the visitor economy have faced shocks that tested their ability to keep services running. The pandemic was the clearest example: operations were forced to close almost overnight, then rapidly prepare to reopen safely under strict regulations, with staff needing training and clear guidance to protect both customers and themselves. More recently, cyberattacks on major UK businesses have highlighted how vulnerable customer-facing operations can be when digital systems are disrupted, adding to the pressure on already stretched workforces.

With new threats emerging, from supply chain shocks and power outages to more frequent extreme weather, the pressure on visitor economy businesses will only grow.

Jon Czul, Managing Director for Consultancy & Research at People 1st International, says recent shocks both at home and abroad are an ‘object lesson’ in in why organisations need to take resilience seriously.

“We live in an increasingly interconnected and uncertain world, where seemingly isolated events can have an impact far beyond and for much longer than initially anticipated.

“Few would’ve predicted a global pandemic bringing everything to a standstill, the power cuts in Spain and Portugal or even the cyber-attacks on major UK companies.

“Building resilience to known and unknown threats relies upon eradicating single points of failure in the systems and environments in which we operate and ensuring that staff feel empowered to adapt and respond when disruption occurs.”

From continuity planning to proven resilience

The data paints a picture of workplaces across the UK where resilience is not yet embedded. While 44% of people say they feel confident in their ability to adapt to disruption at home or at work, the majority remain uncertain. For businesses in the visitor economy, this raises important questions for leaders:

• Are our people equipped and supported to keep customer-facing operations running during disruption?
• Have we identified single points of failure across our systems and operations that could threaten continuity?
• Is our workforce plan dynamic and flexible enough to respond rapidly when circumstances change?

Many organisations already have continuity plans in place. Scenario-based testing helps bring those plans to life, giving teams the chance to rehearse decision-making under pressure, strengthen coordination across departments and build the confidence that services can continue, even in the face of major disruption.

Launching soon, our Scenario-Informed Resilience Assessment will support organisations in turning continuity plans into actionable, tested resilience strategies