Relating crime to tourism has seemingly been a taboo subject among tourism
experts and researchers and it may be speculated, this is because crime is
not a problem. Even fewer criminologists have thought to give the
relationship a first, let alone a second glance and yet evidence exists which
suggests that people on holiday are not only more likely to be victimised but
are also routinely let down the criminal justice system.
It is also likely that the breadth of the problem continues to grow as travel
becomes increasingly routine for holidays, business and educational
purposes. International Crime Victim Surveys which have existed since the
latter part of the 1980s ask residents in a wide sweep of counties about their
experiences of crime and subsequent support but there has not, to date been
a similar exercise among visitor victims. This is in spite of research which has
shown that while people who are victims of crime in their own locale are
affected in a variety of ways, those who are similarly victimised while away
from the familiar are doubly affected; they must deal with the issues relating to
the actual crime and must do so without knowledge of their surroundings and
the support of family and friends. As a result they may return home without
resolving the emotional impact of the events. Thus negative impressions of
the visit will be conveyed to family and Mends thus potentially deterdng them
from visiting the same area.
In view of the importance of tourism and the growth in travel to all corners of
the world, failure to identify the risk of crime and its impact are serious
omissions. This research therefore endeavours to begin to fill that gap
through a detailed study in Cornwall in the southwest of England. This is a
county which relies heavily upon tourism for its economic wellbeing and yet,
data from a postal questionnaire to visitor victims suggested that little support
was available in the event of a crime. This is, in part because the police often
failed to note the status of the victim and, where they did, victims were less
likely to be contacted by Victim Support than resident victims