Is holiday a risky decision?
Author: Wioletta Komar
1 Commentries
Is holiday a risky decision? Risk perceptions and terrorism.
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to point out the main risks and risks perceptions of tourists. It is considered mainly around the issue of terrorism attacks.
Key words:
Risk perceptions, Safety, Terrorism, Travel risk, Tourism.
Introduction
Everyone needs to feel safe today whether at home or away. As tourists we need to be sure that our holiday destination is safe for us to travel to. But is it possible to be sure in today's world of terrorist attacks, wars, political instability, natural disasters and other potential hazards, threats and risks which are impossible to predict? These can be things like illness, injury, road traffic accident, theft or even murder. Those hazards can meet us when we are at home, on the way to work or shop but as tourists we are more susceptible to some of them.
Why do we need to feel safe?
As early as in the 1943 Maslow has developed a hierarchy of needs, placing safety as the fundamental and most important need in human life. Sonmez and Graefe (1998) say that tourists expect to be protected by government and the tourism industry. However tourists are responsible for their own decisions and actions on holiday. When thinking about holiday and risk associated with it, tourists may change their decision on holiday destination. Henderson (2003) divides risks into two categories which are natural or man made disasters. Page and Connell (2006) Lepp and Gibson (2003) state that threat of terrorism is now in the top ten most important tourism issues in the world for tourists and tourism industry as a whole.
Terrorism and tourism.
Terrorism is a low probability risk but has serious impact on tourism (Sonmez and Graefe 1998). But when did it all start? Lepp and Gibson (2003) identify Munich Olympic Games in 1972 as a first terrorist attack which was associated with tourism. TV audience of around 800 million viewers seen that eleven people were dead as a result of attack. From this time international tourists are aware of the relationship between tourism and terrorism. Mansfeld and Pizam (2005) argue that relationship between tourism and safety issues has gained substantial interest since the September 11, 2001 events in the USA. Given their nature, the terrorist attacks of September 11th 2001 in US introduced a global "fear factor" (Blake and Sinclair 2003; Rhodes et al, 2007; Burns 2007) resulting in a decline in travel to long haul destinations (Arana and Leon 2008). As people began opting for travel closer to home, the airline industry entered a state of severe crisis and colossal profit losses.
Sackett and Botterill (2006) are also saying that terrorist attacks of September 11th stopped air travel to and within the United States of America. There were no flights for couple days at all. It certainly shows that terrorist attacks affect us as travellers. Arana and Leon (2008) state that while tourists shift away from destination affected by terror event other destinations upgrade on their attractiveness and image. That was the case after Sept 11 terrorist attacks in USA. Tourists shifted to the competing destinations of the USA in the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands.
Risks waiting for tourists.
Cooper et al (1998) divide tourism products risks into economic risk, physical risk, performance risk and psychological risk. But important question is to ask ourselves if there is high likelihood of their occurrence, whether they are avoidable and how significant would be the consequences.
Jenkin (2006) and Burns (2007) explain that perceptions of risk are based on number factors such as voluntariness of exposure, the dread associated with the hazard and the extent to which the risk can be controlled. These things are important for tourists when assessing holiday destination as safe or not.
Lepp and Gibson (2003) suggest that tourists feel safer in familiar environments, when new environments carry greater risk. Arana and Leon (2008) state that tourism decisions are made for destinations with tranquil and peaceful social environment. Study by Sackett and Botterill (2006) is showing that as tourists we put away the thought that there will be terrorist attack on our holiday as we need vacation. So is it that we see risks where we want to see? It seems to be the case here.
Perceived risks.
Cooper et al (1998) and Jenkin (2006) are arguing that individuals perceive risks differently depending on their age, income and experience Lepp and Gibson (2003) add gender and nationality. Sackett and Botterill (2006) are stating that travel patterns are not necessarily dependent on perceptions of international travel risk. Terrorist attack and medium to long-term perceptions depend on previous travel experience, media reporting, government advice and proximity to the attack.
According to Henderson (2003) terrorist attacks on New York and Washington in 2001 and the fears generated were exaggerated by extensive publicity which has heightened the perceptions of risk. By doing that they have damaged tourism as tourists avoid areas associated with danger. Hall (2010) also identifies important role which media serve in enhancing the perceptions to the crisis events.
Conclusion
Risk perception is dependent on number of factors. Our holiday can be safe but unless we did a good research on holiday destination and planned our trip ahead it won't be. What is more we need to be careful and watch the environment around us all the time.
References:
Jenkin C. M. (2006) [online] "Risk Perception and Terrorism: Applying the Psychometric Paradigm." Homeland Security Affairs, Vol. 2, No. 2 [Accessed on: 20th April 2011], Available online: http://www.hsaj.org/?article=2.2.6
Lepp A. and Gibson H. (2003). "Tourist Roles, Perceived Risk and International Tourism", Annals of Tourism Research, Vol. 30, No. 3, pp. 606-624.
Sackett H. and Botterill D. (2006), "Perceptions of International Travel Risk: An Exploratory Study of the Influence of Proximity to Terrorist Attack", e-Review of Tourism Research, Vol. 4, No.2, Available from: http://ertr.tamu.edu/
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to point out the main risks and risks perceptions of tourists. It is considered mainly around the issue of terrorism attacks.
Key words:
Risk perceptions, Safety, Terrorism, Travel risk, Tourism.
Introduction
Everyone needs to feel safe today whether at home or away. As tourists we need to be sure that our holiday destination is safe for us to travel to. But is it possible to be sure in today's world of terrorist attacks, wars, political instability, natural disasters and other potential hazards, threats and risks which are impossible to predict? These can be things like illness, injury, road traffic accident, theft or even murder. Those hazards can meet us when we are at home, on the way to work or shop but as tourists we are more susceptible to some of them.
Why do we need to feel safe?
As early as in the 1943 Maslow has developed a hierarchy of needs, placing safety as the fundamental and most important need in human life. Sonmez and Graefe (1998) say that tourists expect to be protected by government and the tourism industry. However tourists are responsible for their own decisions and actions on holiday. When thinking about holiday and risk associated with it, tourists may change their decision on holiday destination. Henderson (2003) divides risks into two categories which are natural or man made disasters. Page and Connell (2006) Lepp and Gibson (2003) state that threat of terrorism is now in the top ten most important tourism issues in the world for tourists and tourism industry as a whole.
Terrorism and tourism.
Terrorism is a low probability risk but has serious impact on tourism (Sonmez and Graefe 1998). But when did it all start? Lepp and Gibson (2003) identify Munich Olympic Games in 1972 as a first terrorist attack which was associated with tourism. TV audience of around 800 million viewers seen that eleven people were dead as a result of attack. From this time international tourists are aware of the relationship between tourism and terrorism. Mansfeld and Pizam (2005) argue that relationship between tourism and safety issues has gained substantial interest since the September 11, 2001 events in the USA. Given their nature, the terrorist attacks of September 11th 2001 in US introduced a global "fear factor" (Blake and Sinclair 2003; Rhodes et al, 2007; Burns 2007) resulting in a decline in travel to long haul destinations (Arana and Leon 2008). As people began opting for travel closer to home, the airline industry entered a state of severe crisis and colossal profit losses.
Sackett and Botterill (2006) are also saying that terrorist attacks of September 11th stopped air travel to and within the United States of America. There were no flights for couple days at all. It certainly shows that terrorist attacks affect us as travellers. Arana and Leon (2008) state that while tourists shift away from destination affected by terror event other destinations upgrade on their attractiveness and image. That was the case after Sept 11 terrorist attacks in USA. Tourists shifted to the competing destinations of the USA in the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands.
Risks waiting for tourists.
Cooper et al (1998) divide tourism products risks into economic risk, physical risk, performance risk and psychological risk. But important question is to ask ourselves if there is high likelihood of their occurrence, whether they are avoidable and how significant would be the consequences.
Jenkin (2006) and Burns (2007) explain that perceptions of risk are based on number factors such as voluntariness of exposure, the dread associated with the hazard and the extent to which the risk can be controlled. These things are important for tourists when assessing holiday destination as safe or not.
Lepp and Gibson (2003) suggest that tourists feel safer in familiar environments, when new environments carry greater risk. Arana and Leon (2008) state that tourism decisions are made for destinations with tranquil and peaceful social environment. Study by Sackett and Botterill (2006) is showing that as tourists we put away the thought that there will be terrorist attack on our holiday as we need vacation. So is it that we see risks where we want to see? It seems to be the case here.
Perceived risks.
Cooper et al (1998) and Jenkin (2006) are arguing that individuals perceive risks differently depending on their age, income and experience Lepp and Gibson (2003) add gender and nationality. Sackett and Botterill (2006) are stating that travel patterns are not necessarily dependent on perceptions of international travel risk. Terrorist attack and medium to long-term perceptions depend on previous travel experience, media reporting, government advice and proximity to the attack.
According to Henderson (2003) terrorist attacks on New York and Washington in 2001 and the fears generated were exaggerated by extensive publicity which has heightened the perceptions of risk. By doing that they have damaged tourism as tourists avoid areas associated with danger. Hall (2010) also identifies important role which media serve in enhancing the perceptions to the crisis events.
Conclusion
Risk perception is dependent on number of factors. Our holiday can be safe but unless we did a good research on holiday destination and planned our trip ahead it won't be. What is more we need to be careful and watch the environment around us all the time.
References:
Jenkin C. M. (2006) [online] "Risk Perception and Terrorism: Applying the Psychometric Paradigm." Homeland Security Affairs, Vol. 2, No. 2 [Accessed on: 20th April 2011], Available online: http://www.hsaj.org/?article=2.2.6
Lepp A. and Gibson H. (2003). "Tourist Roles, Perceived Risk and International Tourism", Annals of Tourism Research, Vol. 30, No. 3, pp. 606-624.
Sackett H. and Botterill D. (2006), "Perceptions of International Travel Risk: An Exploratory Study of the Influence of Proximity to Terrorist Attack", e-Review of Tourism Research, Vol. 4, No.2, Available from: http://ertr.tamu.edu/