TERRORISM AFFECTING TOURISM

Tourism Review News Desk - Jan 20, 2009
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Conflicts and crisis are part of our everyday lives. They have always been here and they always will. How do they impact the tourism industry? There are the recent terrorist acts in India and protests in Thailand. These crises have surely negatively affected the tourism industry in these destinations. Some tourists may now ask whether there is any place safe to travel to.

The crises make people think more about their safety when traveling. Hospitality businesses improve their safety standards. For example the general manager of Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts New Delhi hotel claims they screen vehicles and luggage and use metal detectors to check visitors. After the Mumbai attacks they have also added extra armed security to watch inside and outside of the hotel.  Nevertheless, hotels cannot be changed into fortresses, says Robert Grenier from the global security consulting company Kroll Inc. According to him, it is advisable for Western executives traveling to the world’s hot spots to keep low profile. He recommends staying in three-star hotels rather than in five-star hotels. He warns against driving fancy cars and having an entourage.

In short term perspective the tourism of India and Thailand will see a drop but it is likely to improve after a few months. According to the National Business Travel Association survey examining the impact on business travel, 42 % of the surveyed subjects will decrease their travel to Mumbai and 34 % of the 191 respondents will reduce their companies’ travel to Bangkok and Thailand. Being aware of the possibility of serious consequences to their business, hotels in Bangkok now try to lure local customers by reducing prices. At present many hotels in the problematic destinations heighten their security measures but it is likely to disappear as memory of the attacks fades.

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Comments

  1. MD Travel Life

    Yes--the terrriosim does affect the tourism badly-but at the same the wrong info by the media is even worst.for example--The northren parts of Pakistan is a huge area--it is as big as Austria and swtzerland put together and this are is the most peacfull and the most beautifull part of Pakistan.The trouble area is north west.But when the media give info they dont specify the particular area and they only mention north---they dont realise that because of this misinformation how much they damage the country.

    (Pakistan)
  2. ya terrorism is affecting tourism to a great extend......

    (India)

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