Tourism, Terrorism and Political Instability

Concepts of terrorism, political turmoil, and war appear unrelated to tourism. Closer examination of their points of convergence and impacts on tourism reveals otherwise. This paper examines literature focusing on the relationships between these phenomena. Research themes which emerge from available studies include impacts of terrorism and political instability on tourist demand, motives of terrorists in targeting tourists, using tourism as a political tool, the effects of political violence on destination image, crisis management, and recovery marketing efforts. The intent of this article is to synthesize research on these relationships, to present a comprehensive index of relevant publications, and to suggest topics for future research

Examining the Sources of Differential Support for Tourism Industry in Two Ghanaian Cities

The current article examines residents’ support for tourism in the Central Region of Ghana in Africa using social exchange theory as the guiding framework. Using pooled data from the two Ghanaian communities of Cape Coast and Elmina, this article tested a research hypothesis that support for tourism varies between the two Ghanaian communities due to their differing socioeconomic bases. Findings of this study suggest differences in the levels of support for tourism (the hospitality industry and tourism infrastructure/attractions) among the residents of the two Ghanaian communities. Results of regression analyses suggest that support for the hospitality industry and support for the infrastructure and tourism attraction development were influenced by partially different reasons in both communities. The higher support for tourism in Cape Coast might be attributable to its status as the region’s capital. Cape Coast, on the other hand, has a relatively more diversified economy including entities such as government offices, a university, several leading secondary schools, retail activities, and hotels; some of this diversification may be viewed as positive and directly attributed to the tourism development in the town

A Distorted Destination Image? The Case of Turkey

Despite its Mediterranean location, Turkey has been unable to consistently achieve its tourism goals, as evidenced by fluctuating numbers in tourism earnings and a small share of the international tourism market. This discrepancy might be attributed to Turkey’s image in the minds of world travelers. The main purpose of this study was to examine the role of destination image and traveler perceptions along with other behavioral variables in destination choice decisions of potential travelers. A self-administered survey was used to collect data from 552 respondents (58.6% response rate). The findings indicate that perceptions of Turkey’s overall appeal, it’s safe and hospitable environment, general mood and vacation atmosphere, travel experience, relaxing effect, local attractions and hospitality, authenticity of experience, social and personal communication channels, comfort/safety, and tourist facilitation are significant predictors of the likelihood of travel to Turkey. Some destination marketing strategies are suggested

Redefining Ecotourism: The Need for a Supply Side View

This article reviews the existing literature on ecotourism definitions and provides a supply-side view of ecotourism based on the findings of a nationwide survey of 282 U.S.- based ecotour operators. A content analysis of ecotourism definitions revealed that ecotourism is a new form of nonconsumptive, educational, and romantic tourism to relatively undisturbed and undervisited areas of immense natural beauty, and cultural and historical importance for the purposes of understanding and appreciating the natural and sociocultural history of the host destination. The current view of ecotourism by the sample of tour operators reflects and confirms definitions of ecotourism found in existing literature. If the definitions provided by this sample of ecotour operators are to be considered representative of their business vision or mission statement, it is plausible to expect their business objectives and operational behavior to be congruent with their description of ecotourism. Whether or not their actual behavior will reflect their visions remains to be determined

Leisure corrupted: an artist's portrait of leisure in a changing society

Theoretical arguments that leisure is the basis of any culture are available. Yet, scarcity in the literature of serious consideration of leisure in non-Western societies demonstrates that the topic has been neglected. One possible explanation for the failure to achieve progress in cultural comparisons of leisure is the lack of data. At least three approaches permit this type of comparison. This paper focuses on a literary approach by investigating how East Africa's most prominent creative writer, Ngugi wa Thiong'o, treats leisure in his most important English language novels. This analysis centers on two of his novels, A Grain of Wheat and Petals of Blood. The two novels are complex, intricate stories drawing heavily on Western philosophy and literature as well as African folklore. Although Ngugi suggests that leisure is the foundation of civilization, the fibre that makes the cloth of society, he portrays leisure distinctively in social terms likely to surprise those familiar with Western traditions of leisure

Make No Enemies: The Tourist Contending With The Terrorist

This article examines the relationship between terrorism and tourism. Although the travel and tourism industry and government have done much to control it, terrorism remains a powerful form of communication which utilizes the tourist to convey messages. Despite their understandable expectations of government and industry action against terrorism, potential tourists must assess risk on their own and take action to protect themselves as they travel and recreate. An analogy may be drawn to touristic medicine: just as the first line of defense in health care is the tourist, so the first line of defense against terrorism lies with the tourist

Heritage Tourism in Africa: Residents’ Perceptions of African-American and White Tourists

The growing interest in heritage tourism in Africa is reflected in the Cairo Declaration of 1995, which was adopted under the auspices of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The objective was for African countries to identify, develop, and preserve a number of World Heritage Sites in cooperation with international agencies and special interest groups. Ultimately, it was expected that such development would enhance the promotion of cultural, thus heritage and ethnic tourism as part of the continent’s economic development strategy. A number of forts and castles built by Europeans are currently being restored for heritage tourism in Ghana and the country also has several vital cultural resource sites that are critical components of the “Slave Route Project.” Cape Coast and Elmina are two communities in Ghana currently receiving an increasing number of international visitors, including a significant number of African-Americans to the three World Heritage Sites located in the two towns. The purpose of the article is to examine how residents of Cape Coast and Elmina perceive African-American and White tourists. Data for the study were gathered in Cape Coast and Elmina through interviewer-administered surveys. Results indicate significant differences in residents’ perceptions of Black and White visitors. The study concludes that considerable care must be exercised in the development and utilization of historically sensitive areas and properties for tourism

Do Destination Images Really Matter? Predicting Destination Choices of Student Travelers

The purpose of the study was to identify images that are likely predictors of destination choices of college students considering travelling to Turkey in a probabilistic model when two measurements of the dependent variable were involved. Five hundred surveys were distributed to geographically dispersed universities across the USA. Based on a response rate of 65.4 per cent, the study results indicated that travellers can compartmentalise their mental pictures and evaluate each image component according to its importance in choice decisions. Moreover, familiarity with the destination can be considered as a moderator variable in decision-making models. Implications for destination marketing and management are discussed in light of the study findings

Crisis Management for Event Tourism

Tourism, festivals, and special events are usually not considered in conjunction with disasters or disruptive events. As the notions of tourism, festivals and other special events reflect enjoyment and relaxation, whereas disasters bring to mind distress, fear, and even panic. Nevertheless, it must be remembered that whether natural or caused by man, disaster occurrences have been and continue to be a part of life that we must deal with. While each special event has different characteristics, they all share a vulnerability to emergency situations. Because special events bring large numbers of people together, they reflect an increased need for special planning for the unexpected

Exploring the Touristic Image of Jordan

Destination image has received significant attention in recent Western travel literature. However, developing and lesser-developed countries have less research attention devoted to them despite the fact image is a key factor in determining travel decisions. This study explored current visitor images of a Middle Eastern country, Jordan. On-site interviews with tourists indicated a fairly positive image of Jordan, with improvements possible in service related areas. Marketing and research implications are suggested