Ski – resort and regional development: profile of visitors ... - E-Journal

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Leisure tourists’ considerations regarding destinations recently experiencing safety and/or security problems Leisure tourists’ considerations regarding destinations recently experiencing safety and/or security problems Filio Lazana Diana Draganescu Georgiana Grama Magdalina Yarichkova ABSTRACT flazana@trinity.edu.gr Nowadays, safety and security considerations represent one of the major issues that affect tourists’ perceptions of risk when selecting a travel destination. Natural disasters, terrorist attacks and political instability that are prevalent in certain parts of the world raise the travelers’ awareness of the importance of safety and security factors when choosing a destination. The purpose of this paper is to assess leisure tourists’ considerations and attitudes regarding those destinations that have experienced safety and/or security issues in the recent past and the changes in people’s travel and recreation behaviors when it comes to destination and activity choices. This study is based on the analysis of questionnaires addressed to tourists of different nationalities, religion, age and income. The terms “safety” and “security” will be addressed separately: safety will refer to natural calamities or disasters that cannot be anticipated or prevented; security will refer to anything perceived to be free from danger, such as crime, accidents, terrorist attacks, political instability or economic insecurity. The conclusion of this paper will highlight the main factors, by order of importance, that have to be considered when promoting a destination as safe and secure while building up an image and overcoming biases and stereotypes. The results may help in better understanding travelers’ risk perceptions and their impact on travel behavior. Keywords: decision-making process; disaster; leisure tourist; risk perception; safety; security; terrorism; travel and tourism; INTRODUCTION Travel and tourism is the world’s largest service industry, being of overwhelming importance for many a country’s economy level (Goeldner, Ritchie and McIntosh, 2000). In accordance Tourism Today - Fall 2007 - Full Paper 43
44 Filio Lazana, Diana Draganescu, Georgiana Grama, Magdalina Yarichkova with the World Tourism Organization (WTO), tourism is the main source of income for almost 40% of the world’s countries (Quinn, 2003). Tourism is associated with enjoyment, and according to various typological models, most tourists rank security and comfort as essentials for a vacation site. Nevertheless, the emerging global economy and communication networks, of which the internationalization of tourism is an integral part, make tourism increasingly subject to the effects of political instability and violence. In this global environment, safety and security considerations constitute one of the major issues that affect travelers when selecting a travel destination. Perceptions of political stability and safety are a prerequisite for tourist visitations (Brackenbury, 1995). Natural disasters, terrorist attacks and political instability that are prevalent in certain parts of the world raise the tourists’ awareness of the importance of safety and security factors when choosing a destination and can all alter tourists’ travel behaviour. The effects of these acts aimed against tourists have proved devastating to tourism destinations, damaging not only the tourist infrastructure and arrivals, but the longer-term image of the destination as well. Tourism stakeholders seem to embrace these concerns and strive to take related measures to satisfy travelers’ needs. This study explores how safety and security factors affect leisure tourism and the choice of a destination. Are tourists willing to visit a destination that has been recently hit by a natural disaster, such as the tsunami in Indonesia, or by a terrorist attack, such as the bombing in London? How quickly will a tourist forget the safety or security incident when making their choice of destination? What are the elements that need to be introduced and emphasized in order to make a tourist perceive a destination as safe and secure? A differentiation was made between the terms “safety” and “security”. According to different sources (Glaesser, 2003; Monahan, 2006; wikipedia) 1 , safety refers to the effects of accidents or hazardous forces of nature (things that cannot be anticipated or prevented), such as hurricanes, maladies, and earthquakes, while security involves anthropogenic factors, such as political instability, economic insecurity, terrorist attacks etc. Disasters are episodic events that disrupt the tourism industry on a regular basis (Sonmez et al., 1999; Faulkner, 2000), termed as a disaster being any sudden, random or great misfortune. Disasters can take many forms and can include natural events, such as floods, typhoons and earthquakes, or human induced events, such as war and terrorism. Terrorism is defined as any act of violence that countries may exchange; its beginnings may be traced back to as early as the mid-1930s (ibid). Security is a concept that, at present, is associated not only with tourism, but with a larger scope as well. As a result of the events of September 11 th 2001 and the American-led invasion Tourism Today - Fall 2007 - Full Paper
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