ABSTRACT
The first item of universal concern is the relationship of tourism to terrorism or, in the larger context, safety and security. Safety and security in tourism will be the greatest challenge for tourism policy and planning for many years to come. Much of the discussion on safety and security is in response to terrorism. While terrorism has existed for a long time, the terrorism attacks in the United States on 11 September 2001 have been the rallying cry in terms of international and national tourism policies to counteract the impact of terrorism. The aftermath of this tragic event seemed to galvanize many nations to act together to meet the need for policy attention and action. The imprint of terrorism on tourism worldwide and subsequent terrorist acts has been devastating. Policy changes developed and implemented thus far are only the beginning. The global tourism industry will be facing the policy challenge of responding to the burden of terrorism on tourism for some time to come. Safety and security, particularly from crime and terrorism, have been
extremely important issues in the tourism industry for many decades. (Safety from disease and pandemics is also on the minds of travellers, and is discussed later in this chapter.) Since the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, there has been heightened awareness of the vulnerability of the global hospitality and tourism industry to the challenges of ever-changing world events. Data and research on tourism clearly support the adage, ‘When peace prevails, tourism flourishes’, but unfortunately, we are experiencing an increase of terrorism specifically targeting tourist destinations. Figure 10.1 shows the increasing trend of tourism as a terrorist target from 1970 to 2004. The peak of terrorism activity occurred in the early 1990s; and by 1993 there was a clear effort by the US Government and the private tourism sector to address this issue (See Appendix F). In this light, there are steps a destination can take to protect those who seek a peaceful visit. Although major terrorist attacks in high-profile destinations such as
New York, London, Madrid or Bali often receive the bulk of attention, such tragedies occur frequently in all parts of the world. Between 1970
and 2006, there have been 264 terrorism attacks, targeting tourism in 42 nations. Terrorists do strike in remote regions but, increasingly, terrorism occurs in popular tourist destination nations such as France and Spain, which rank worldwide as international tourism destinations and at the same time third and fourth in the number of terrorist occurrences during the past three decades. No area is invulnerable to the reach of terror, as shown in Figure 10.2. General crimes against tourists such as robbery, murder and kidnapping
are equally important concerns for destination planners. In many places, statistics regarding a victim’s status as a resident or visitor are not regularly reported or collected by local police agencies. Nevertheless, when those crimes against tourists are featured in global media reports, the result is often detrimental to the overall image of the destination, despite the low-level of risk and number of actual offences (Figure 10.3). To manage visitor safety and security and preserve the destination
image, the South African government, for example, has created a National Tourism Safety Network, made up of key travel-related organizations. This stakeholder group has set a Tourism Safety Communication Strategy, which includes distributing tourism safety tips to visitors and handling crisis communications and management when incidents do occur. They also realize that terrorism activities in neighbouring countries can have a negative impact throughout the region or even throughout the continent. Once seen as an encumbrance to travel, security measures are now
endured, if not welcomed and demanded by travellers. Accordingly, safety and security must now be part of the destination development strategies for areas where the perception of terror and insecurity is indeed the reality in the mind of the visitor. The following list of important items to be included in a destination’s security strategy is adapted from key points
proposed by Dr Peter Tarlow, a recognized expert on tourism and security concerns:
Global travel has increased despite the efforts of terrorists and criminals to disrupt the visitor experience. And while the attacks create obvious threats to the sustainability of any destination, safety and security issues can also create opportunities for destination planners; these come in the form of implementing strategies to add to the safety of an area with the
hopes of mitigating future threats. Destinations able to leverage the power of tourism to offset the force of terrorism are those destinations where tourism will continue to flourish.
