ABSTRACT
SUMMARY. This paper commences with a discussion about aspects of security and safety in relation to tourism. It then looks specifically at the tourism situation for the island of Lombok, Indonesia, after three days of rioting and the subsequent media reporting combined to decimate tourism numbers. Incidents like this severely undermine any idea of sustainability in tourism development. Such incidents also bring into sharp focus the direct and indirect links between tourism and a wide range of social, political and economic issues at the local, national and global levels. It highlights the need for tourism to be integrated into broader social and economic activities. If there is greater involvement by the local community in tourism development, then the risk of violence in
KEYWORDS. Lombok, Indonesia, sustainable tourism development, security
INTRODUCTION
Factors of personal security, or safety, are important criteria by which potential tourists judge the attractiveness of a particular destination (Hall and O’Sullivan, 1996). These factors may relate to the high physical risk in adventure tourism; the risk of becoming a victim of criminal activity such as assault or theft and the risk of being caught in a politically motivated attack by terrorists, or being trapped in a war zone. Hall and O’Sullivan (1996) indicate that there are varying levels of security and political stability. Political instability can range from strikes, protests, riots, acts of terrorism through to coups, civil wars and international wars (Hall, 1994; Hall and O’Sullivan, 1996: 109).
