Terrorism Impact on Travel and Tourism

Major Threats that can Influence Travel and Tourism Development

Terrorism

• Terrorism is an unlawful act of violence committed to achieve political, ideological, or religious goals.
• The objective of terrorist attacks is to instill fear and threaten basic safety and security needs, which has a negative impact on tourism.
• Safety is a fundamental need, and tourists consider the risk of victimization when deciding on a vacation destination.
• The global tourism industry suffered significantly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001, with over 10 million travel industry jobs lost globally.
• The 9/11 attacks decreased global travel and tourism by 7.4% of global travel and tourism demand.
• Terrorism is an integrated risk of modern travel, and the tourism industry must recognize it as a major threat.
• The image of a destination in terms of risk and safety affects the probability of international travelers visiting.

Natural Disasters

• Natural disasters are major adverse events resulting from natural processes of the Earth, such as floods, hurricanes, and earthquakes.
• The effect of natural disasters varies depending on the magnitude of the disaster.
• Natural disasters can destroy structures, change the landscape, and affect tourist flows.

Changes in Travel Motivation

Demographic Factors

• Demographic change will have major implications for the tourism sector over the coming decades.
• Major demographic trends worldwide include rising populations, increased life expectancy, urbanization, migration, and changing family structures.
• Demographic factors such as age, education, marital status, and language impact one's willingness to travel.
• Demographic change will affect the types of tourists, their origin, destination, accommodation, and activities.

Emerging Markets and Destinations

• Emerging economies, particularly the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China), are leading the growing demand for international tourism.
• Brazil: 8.2 million trips worldwide, 2.9 million trips to Europe, and international tourism expenditure of €13.1 billion in 2016.
• Russia: 18.9 million trips globally, 13.9 million trips to Europe, and international tourism expenditure of €21.6 billion in 2016.
• India: 16.4 million trips, 2.3 million trips to Europe, and international tourism expenditure of €14.8 billion in 2016.
• China: 84.9 million trips, 10.5 million trips to Europe, and international tourism expenditure of €236 billion in 2016.
• Emerging economies will continue to expand their market share until 2030.

Emerging Economies: Future Trends

• The EU will maintain its position as the world's most-visited tourism destination, with 557 million international arrivals expected by 2030.
• A large proportion of tourists visiting the EU will originate from emerging economy source markets in Asia, the Americas, Africa, and the Middle East.
• The Asia-Pacific region will contribute significantly to world travel growth, with 34 million arrivals expected in the EU by 2030.
• The number of tourists from the Americas will increase by 2.2% year-on-year, with 37 million visiting EU countries.
• The number of tourists from Africa will grow by 5.5% year-on-year, with 9 million arrivals expected in the EU by 2030.
• The number of tourists from the Middle East will increase to 5 million by 2030.

Learn about the effects of terrorism on travel and tourism development, including the negative impacts on safety and security needs. Part of UNIT 8.