The Impact of Terrorism on the Tourism Industry

Introduction 

International tourism is a significant contributor to economic growth and development in both developed and developing countries around the globe. The global tourism industry has experienced considerable growth over the last few decades. For instance, over one billion tourists traveled the world in 2012, marking a new record in international tourism. It is worth realizing that the tourism industry accounts for one in every 12 jobs. Besides, the global tourism industry accounts for approximately 30 percent of the world's services exports. These facts show that the tourism industry is an essential component of the world's economy, impacting the lives of many people and national economies ( Araña & León, 2008 ). Interestingly, tourism serves as a primary export industry in a majority of the developing economies around the world. However, industrialized countries are the primary beneficiaries of international tourism in overall trade dollars. This is because industrialized countries have well developed and structured tourism sectors that attract tourists from around the world. Additionally, developed countries are able to advertise their tourist destinations aggressively and intensively. On the other hand, developing countries lack resources for promoting their tourist products, although they may have vibrant tourist destinations. 

Although the international tourism industry has demonstrated immense success over the years, it is not immune to the sinister power of terrorism. The threat of terrorism in the industry is actually on a higher alert. In fact, tourists and visitors are particularly at a great risk of being victims of terrorism. For instance, the threat of danger normally associated with terrorism is more likely to make the potential tourists feel severely intimidated. The heightened attention to terrorism currently can be traced back to the 9/11 terrorist attack in the United States of America. Therefore, terrorism is currently a significant threat to the success and growth of the global tourism industry. 

Influence of Terrorism on Tourist Behavior 

Terrorism refers to premeditated violence that is politically motivated, perpetuated against the innocent public by clandestine agents who are often out to influence an audience. Therefore, terrorists often target vulnerable members of the society to attract the attention of some audience, particularly the international community. The terror agents usually have a political agenda that they want to express. It is worth realizing that current terrorists know their enemy. As such, they are often not concerned about the national identity or territory, all they want is to see their mission accomplished. This is because most terror groups have a global ideology that drives their activities ( Araña & León, 2008 ). Terrorists cause mass deaths and cause terror among civilian populations to intimidate those in power, hoping to achieve their goals. 

Therefore, establishing the goals of terrorists at any given time can significantly help in untangling the impact of terrorism on tourist decision making from a global perspective (Bowen et al., 2015). Since terrorists often target tourists, it is important to understand their motives, so that more practical solutions can be developed to address the threat. It is evident that the terrorist attacks against tourists are often deliberate and are aimed at achieving certain goals. For instance, the terrorists targeting tourists may be interested in gaining publicity, causing economic disruption, or even expressing an ideological opposition to tourism in some countries. Thus, every terror activity orchestrated by terrorists is intended to achieve a given predetermined goal. This goal is often accomplished by causing mass destruction including deaths. This is the only way that terrorists ensure that their messages are made clear. If their strategies are not scuttled in advance, they can cause serious loss of lives and properties. A closer analysis of the relationship between terrorism and tourism reveals a link that is symbolic. This relationship can be pinpointed by drawing parallels between peaceful international tourism and diplomatic relations. For instance, the tourists may be targeted by terrorist because they are viewed as representatives of their respective countries. 

International tourists are primarily considered soft targets with a symbolic value of being indirect ambassadors of their home countries, whose governments are considered unsympathetic or hostile. Furthermore, terrorist activities involving citizens from other countries may be a response to strict limits on political expression. For instance, terrorist actions against one's citizens may go unmentioned by media agencies that are controlled by host governments. Some governments restrict the content that can be shared by media, curtailing access to information by the public (Sloboda, 2003). However, when nationals of other countries are responsible for a particular terrorist attack, media coverage is almost automatically guaranteed. Governments are often quick to point fingers at outside groups either for political or economic reasons. As such, the terrorists know that they will effectively secure attention by involving external agents in a terrorist attack as the government's ability to censor news is curtailed. Terrorists mostly desire media attention so that they can effectively intimidate their intended audience. They consider it a great success when their attacks capture international media attention. This way, they know that their activities get the level of publicity desired. When international tourists are kidnapped or murdered, the situation is immediately dramatized by the media. This significantly helps the political conflict between the terrorist and the establishment to reach a global scale. Through increased media attention and coverage, terrorists achieve the exposure they often crave, as media increases circulation and ratings. 

The objectives of terrorists can be classified into ideological, strategic and tactical. It is important to realize that ideological objectives are normally long-range, and may incorporate national struggle. Therefore, ideological objectives may take a significantly longer time to plan, as well as execute. On the other hand, tactical objectives are usually short-range, and they always motivated by concerns that are touted as legitimate. Such concerns often involve robberies, tourists being major targets, along with resort areas where economic and social elites are believed to reside. Terrorists attack tourists to achieve their strategic objectives and pass strong messages to their audiences. Attacking tourists provide the terrorists with the instrumental advantage relating to disrupting the tourism industry as well as assuring publicity. As such, terrorists usually tend towards international tourists. Often, foreign looking and speaking tourists provide safety and camouflage for terrorists. Besides, such tourists offer excellent opportunities for identification of preferred targets. Furthermore, the same terrorists can circulate among the international tourists, conducting financial transactions in foreign currencies without necessarily arousing any suspicion. 

Therefore, the prevalence of terrorist activities in a particular region ultimately changes tourist behavior (Bowen et al., 2015). The proliferation of terrorist activities around the globe has influenced the decision-making process of tourists (Drakos & Kutan, 2003). Before visiting a place, tourists have to take into considerations many factors, chief of which being potential for terrorist attacks. For instance, international tourists who perceive the risk of terrorist attacks in one country may end up concluding that the entire region is prone to terrorism, and hence risky. As a result, even a country which is not directly affected by terrorism may not be visited by tourists, affecting the tourism industry in such a country. Given the fact that tourism is a significant contributor to economic growth, counties that experience a slump in tourist numbers may experience poor economic growth as other countries may be considered immediate destination substitutes. However, it is important to realize that terrorism has a negative impact on tourism demand for the region in general, adversely affecting the countries from the region economically. 

The Link between Terrorism and International Tourism 

Fundamentally, terrorism and tourism are paradoxically related through their mutual characteristics such as both involving citizens of different nationalities, crossing national borders, as well as both utilizing travel and communication technologies. The link between terrorism and tourism first came to the international limelight in 1972 during the Munich Olympic Games, where the Palestinian terrorists attacked Israeli athletes and left eleven people dead. The unfortunate terror attack introduced a global television audience of about 800 million people to terrorism. As a result of the Munich terror attack, international tourists have been significantly aware of the relationship between terrorism and tourism. 

Although there is a relatively low level of risk associated with terror, tourists fear is immense. This was demonstrated by the sharp decline for tourism in the UK due to the Irish Republican Army bombing campaign in the country. As such, the threat of terrorism is significantly real, particularly for today's tourists. This is due to the fact that tourists are very much appealing to terrorism because they are inherently soft targets for attacks. Besides, major tourist destinations are considered by terrorists to be prime strategic targets to stage attacks. Therefore, the threat of terrorism has negative implications on the tourism industry. 

The Economic Effect of Terrorism 

The ramifications of terrorist activities might set the stage for political instability, which ultimately leads to the decline or disappearance of tourist arrivals. Consequently, the economy will be severely hurt, particularly in those countries where tourism is a major contributor to economic growth and development. The collapse of the tourism industry means losing thousands of jobs and revenue. Terrorism is an enemy of tourism because terrorist attacks alter tourism demand patterns, often for the worse. For instance, tourists may cancel travel or holiday plans to the disadvantage of the country directly affected by terrorist activities. Even before the 9/11 attacks in America, there are other examples of terrorist attacks that demonstrated the real impact of terrorism on the tourism industry. For instance, a terrorist attack in Spain caused a reduction in tourists visiting the country by 140,000 during the 1980s. Moreover, over 7 million Americans were expected to visit Europe in 1986. However, over 54 percent of the Americans canceled their reservations due to increased terrorist activity in the region. It is estimated that over 79 percent of Americans avoided traveling overseas during the summer of 1986. As a result, Europe lost over $105 billion in tourism receipts to acts of terror. 

The 9/11 terrorist attack on American had rapid and substantial negative effects on worldwide tourist travels. The attacks not only induced a substitution away from air travel but also caused a shift in the preferences of tourists for certain destinations. For instance, the United States of America experienced an immediate drop in foreign visitors' arrivals. This precipitous decline in visitors reflected a significant concern about the safety of international air travel. Besides, the economy experienced a recession that reduced the demand for air travel considerably following the 9/11 terror attack. The events the followed the attack demonstrated that media coverage of terrorism has the potential to influence individuals' images of destinations. This implies that a symbiotic relationship between media and terrorism exists. While terrorists benefit from the free publicity provided by the media, the media benefit from the stage set for them by the terrorists. 

The Impact of Tourism on Destination Image 

A negative image of a particular destination has negative impacts on tourism. Tourists often substitute destinations with bad publicity with others that are relatively safe. For instance, Northern Ireland's negative external image resulting from terrorism discouraged tourists from visiting the country. As such, the country had to pay significant attention overcoming negative image to increase inbound tourism. Therefore, tourism industries that have a negative image should consider investing heavily in recovery marketing, or marketing that is fully integrated with crisis management strategies. It is important to realize that a tourist destination is the first casualty of violence, with regards to terrorist activities. Therefore, terrorism has severe implications for tourist destinations. 

Socio-economic and Cultural Reasons Making Tourists Terrorists’ Targets 

Various socio-economic and cultural reasons contribute to international tourists being targets of terrorist attacks. One of the reasons is that language, and several socioeconomic gaps separate international tourists and locals. For instance, significant problems often arise in cases where locals facing hardship have to coexist with supposedly wealthy international tourists who lead luxurious lifestyles. In such cases, social frictions are mostly inevitable. Besides, styles of travel may be representatives of specific ideological values, political values and class behavior of both the tourists and the home countries (Baker, 2014). Some locals may detest the conspicuous consumptions of the international tourists, inevitably causing resentment that can translate into dangerous forms of bitterness. Furthermore, clashing of cultures and values may brew violence that may act as a catalyst for terror attacks. 

The Impact of Recent Terrorist Attacks in France and Spain 

The recent terrorist attacks in France and Spain have had a negative impact on the tourism industries of both countries. For instance, Paris is experiencing a significant drop in visits by holiday makers from outside Europe. This demonstrates the adverse effects of terrorism on tourism. Similarly, Spain is set to lose more tourists to terrorism as potential visitors are expected to visit alternative destinations such as Italy. 

France experienced a significant drop in tourist visits following the Paris terrorist attacks. The visitors dropped by 6.4 percent compared to 2015, accounting for a €750 million loss. The severe consequences of the terror attacks have prompted tourism officials to call on the government to help the ailing industry. Tourism is the most prominent industry in France, accounting for over 500,000 jobs. Wealthy tourists have shunned France for alternative tourist destinations. Additionally, hotel stays dropped by 11.4 percent in Paris between January and June 2016. Major tourist attractions in Paris also recorded significant drops in visitors (Hosie, 2017). This demonstrates the adverse effects of terrorism on tourism. The fact that France, the most visited country in the world could be affected speaks volumes about the inherent threat of terrorism to tourism globally. 

Similarly, Spain also experienced the wrath of terrorism, following the attack in Barcelona on 17 August 2017 (Castle et al., 2017). Despite the fact that the UK is Spain's largest source market for tourism, the number of visitors from the UK dropped considerably following the terror attacks. Besides, the number of visitors from France and Germany has also declined. This has resulted in significant financial losses to terrorism. Furthermore, the international media coverage put Barcelona's over-tourism in the spotlight, where the city is struggling from over-capacity. This is a critical discussion that could paint a bad image of Spain, further affecting the tourism industry negatively. Therefore, terrorism affects tourism industry adversely. 

Conclusion 

In conclusion, it is demonstrable that terrorism poses a significant threat to the growth and development of the international tourism industry. Terrorism influences the behavior of foreign tourists because they are considered prime targets by terrorists. Terrorists view them as soft targets that can be used to achieve strategic objectives. Major terrorism events such as the 9/11 US attack resulted in adverse effects for the global tourism industry. The recent terrorist attacks in France and Spain impacted the tourism industries in the two countries negatively. Therefore, it is clear that terrorism is currently a significant threat to the success and growth of the global tourism industry. 

References 

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Baker, D. M. A. (2014). The effects of terrorism on the travel and tourism industry. International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage , 2 (1), 9. 

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Castle, P., Povoledo, E., & Morenne, P. (Aug. 18, 2017). In Terror Attacks in Spain, a Global Community of Victims, The New York Times , https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/18/world/europe/barcelona-cambrils-victims-terror-attacks.html 

Drakos, K., & Kutan, A. M. (2003). Regional effects of terrorism on tourism in three Mediterranean countries. Journal of Conflict Resolution , 47 (5), 621-641. 

Hosie, R. (February 22, 2017). Paris Tourist Numbers Drop Due To Fears Over Further Terror Attacks, Independent , https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/paris-tourist-numbers-drop-franch-terror-attacks-further-charlie-hebdo-bataclan-shooting-isis-a7592836.html 

Saha, S., & Yap, G. (2014). The moderation effects of political instability and terrorism on tourism development: A cross-country panel analysis. Journal of Travel Research , 53 (4), 509-521. 

Sloboda, B. W. (2003). Assessing the effects of terrorism on tourism by use of time series methods. Tourism Economics , 9 (2), 179-190.