Safety and Security in Tourism and Hospitality

The first issue of universal concern is the relationship of tourism and hospitality to terrorism or, in the
larger context, to safety and security. Safety and security in tourism and hospitality will be the greatest
challenge for tourism policy and planning for many years to come (Edgell, 2008). Much of the discussion
on safety and security pertains to terrorism. The terrorist attack in the United States on Septemba 11,
2001 paved the way for the adoption of international and national policies to counteract the impact of
terrorism. The result of this tragic event encouraged many countries to act together to combat the
devastating effects of terrorism.

Safety and security, particularly from crime and terrorism, have been very important issues in the
tourism and hospitality industry for many decades. Since the September 11, 2001terrorist attack in the
United States, there has been a:! increased awareness regarding the vulnerability of the tourism and
hospitality industry to the challenges of world events.

At present, there is an increase of terrorism that specihca\\y targets tourism lestinations. Figure 4 shows
the terrorist attacks which targeted tourism from 990-2004. The peak of tourism activity occurred in the
early 19905. In 1993. the US :overnment and the private tourism and hospitality sectors developed an
action plan o help travelers have a safer and more enjoyable travel experience. Between 19901006,
there have been 264 terrorist attacks, which targeted tourism in 42 countries. 'gypt, Turkey, France, and
Spain have the highest number of terrorist attacks during

. he past three decades. Figure 5 shows terrorist attacks targeting tourism by country rom 1970-2006.

Crimes against tourists such as robbery, murder, and kidnapping are also important concerns for
destination planners. ln several places, statistics regarding a victim’s status as resident Visitor is not
regularly reported or collected by local police agencies. However, when crimes against tourists are
featured in international media reports, the result is often harmful to the overall image of the
destination in spite of the low level of risk and number of actual offenses.
In order to manage visitors' safety and security and preserve the image of the destinat1'on, the South
African government has created a National Tourism Safety Network composed of travel-related
organizations. This group has organized a Tourism Safety Communication Strategy, which distributes
tourism safety tips to visitors and handles crisis communications and management when incidents
occur. The stakeholders realize that terrorism activities in neighboring countries can have a negative
impact throughout the region or even throughout the continent (Edgell, 2008)

Travelers now demand security measures. Safety and security must be included in the desünaäon
development strategies especially in areas where terror and danger exist. The followipg are important
items to be included in a destination's security strategy. Dr. Peter Tarlow‚ an expert on tourism and
security issues, proposed these points: \

1. destinations and attractions must compete on their readiness to keep visitors safe and secure;

2. destinations that provide sound security coupled with customer service will prosper; 3. the lack of a
comprehensive approach will ‚create a false sense of security. For example, only having gas masks
available for hotel guests may give false hopes if the hotel's water supply is poisoned;

4. all members of the local tourism and hospitality system should be included when developing a
comprehensive tourism and hospitality strategy;

5. media coverage of a local incident can spread the negative public relations effects to the entire
continent;

6. the safety development needs of the components of the visitor experience, including transportation,
infrastructure, accommodations, highway rest areas, and food sources should be assessed; and

7. establish a place for visitors to turn to, if a terrorist attack were to occur, and openly communicate
the location and purpose of the center in advance in case of any threats.
International travel has increased in spite of the efforts of terrorists and criminals > disrupt the tourist
experience. Although terrorist attacks have threats to the stainability ofanydest1'nation, safety and
security issues can also create opportunities ' destination planners. These opportunities are the
implementing strategies which crease the safety of the area. Destinations that can counter-balance the
force of rrorism are those destinations where tourism and hospitality will continue to osper.

The Impact of the World’s Economy on Tourism and Hospitality

The world economy has a major impact on the future of international travel. With flourishing world
economy, more people will travel. If there is a greater distribution a country's wealth, more people will
have the financial means to travel. Related to the world economy is population growth. According to the
US Census Bureau "World Pop Clock Projection," the present world population is more than 6.5 billion.
China, India, the United States, Indonesia, and Brazil are the five most populous countries. If e
economies of these five countries will improve, tourism and hospitality will grow ae Table 2).

Research shows that tourism and hospitality is a useful tool for economic development that can be used
to alleviate poverty. Developing countries recognize; important contributions of the tourism and
hospitality industry particularly in the establishment of small local industries; many of which employ
women. Table 2 shows it by 2020, the top three receiving regions are Europe (717 million tourists), East
and the Pacific (397 million), and the Americas (282 million), followed by Africa, Middle East, and South
Asia. East Asia and the Pacific, South Asia, the Middle East, d Africa are forecast to record growth at over
5% a year, compared to the world average of 4.1%.

The UNWTO strong encouraged tourism growth to the world's poorest countries to bring out economic
welt-being, social development, and mutual understanding. If other regional organizations such as the
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD), and others will place tourism and hospitality as a high priority, the economies of
many countries will be strengthened.
Managing Sustainable Tourism in a Responsible Manner

The third tourism issue is managing sustainable tourism in a responsible manner. Sustainable tourism is
of utmost importance at present and in the future. Measures to advocate tourism agencies, host
communities, and travelers about sustainable tourism must be continued as the world population
increases. Respect for our natural and built environments will be the country's legacy for future
generations. Sustainable tourism has been a major concern for destination planning as well as regional
and national policy-making in the last decade. In the last three years, there have been more books
written about sustainable tourism than there were 25 years ago. There are several conferences on
sustainable tourism held across the globe every year. These efforts will continue and we can expect new
approaches to planning and policy changes in the field of sustainable tourism (Edgell, 2008)

Tourism Policy and Strategic Planning

Tourism policy and strategic planning is the fourth major world tourism and hospitality issue. The
sustainable benefits of tourism. and hospitality for local communities will continue to grow in
importance. There will be greater efforts toward partnership of private and public sectors to alleviate
poverty, develop policies to combat the negative impacts on tourism and hospitality, and support the
economic sociocultural, and environmental contributions of tourism and hospitality to the world.
Goeldner and Ritchie states that, “Good policy and sound planning need to be conducted to ensure that
a destination will be both competitive and sustainable While policies show the big picture and plans
contain the details, both deal with the future development of tourism."

Developing new tourism and hospitality projects, maintaining present destinations, and improving
travel-related facilities and services require comprehensive policies and detailed plans that combine
local needs, market competitiveness, and tourism and hospitality sustainability. Destinations, sites, and
countries that formulate policies and implement detailed strategic plans will be able to sustain their
tourism and hospitality products in the future. When the p0|icjes and plans include all aspects of
tourism and hospitality and promote the concept of cooperation and competition, the opportunities for
future success are greatly intensified.

Using E-commerce Tools in Tourism and Hospitality

The fifth world tourism and hospitality issue is the use of e-commerce' tool5 tourism and hospitality.
More than 50% of travelers in the United States use the ernet in planning their travel and vacations. This
occurrence is growing globally. If a ;tination does not have a good website, it will miss tourism and
hospitality traffic. ‚ositive effect in developing destination websites is that developers can find good
bsites that are similar to their destinations and copy the best features.

As Internet access continues to increase in many countries, online travel revenues I alse increase. The
number of Internet users around the world was estimated to be 7 million in 2007, a 10% increase from
2006. The growth was due to the expanding momies of India (33%), Russia (21%), and China (20%).
Online travel revenues were ‚ected to reach two billion US dollars by 2010.

It is evident that the use of e-commerce tools for tourism and hospitality will 1tinueto grow in the
future. Several e-commerce tools equip tourism and hospitality a high-tech future. Since tourism and
hospitality is a combination of products and vices, the multimedia qualities of electronic commerce can
be applied effectiver ourism and hospitality in order to increase the attractiveness of a destination.

Since a large part of tourism and hospitality is marketing, tourism and hospitality moters who are
technically knowledgeable about interactive marketing will have :petitive advantage over less-skilled
competitors. The emerging ecommerce tools web biogs, podcasts, and Internet marketing.

arism and Hospitality Education and Training

The sixth major i-.;urism and hospitality issue is tourism and hospitality education 'training. Globalization
and innovation will be the outstanding feature of tourism

hospitality education and training in the future. Several innovations are taking re in some universities.
The University of the Balearic Islands in Majorca, Spain has aster and PhD in Tourism and Environmental
Economics that is really unique with ients coming from several countries. It is a weII-designed program
which offers era) courses. More than 50 visiting professors from different countries teach in the gram.

Many initian'ves and changes are already taking place (Edgell‚ 2008) in tourism hospitality education and
training. New trends include the collaboration between 'ism egencies and educators of tourism colleges
and universities to address changing needs of the tourism and hospitality industry. A good example is
the aboration between the Business Enterprises for Sustainable Travel (BEST) with Education Network
(EN). The group holds annual international tourism and 3ita!ity research conferences in various locations
worldwide. In these conferences, ainable tourism topics are discussed; and curriculum modules are
developed to be 1 in tourism courses and programs around the world. These conferences enable
aromot1'on and sharing of the latest best thinking and best practices in tourism and

hospitality education in order to produce effective and efficient tourism and hospitality menagers in the
future.

Other important current and future trends in tourism and hospitality education and training are closely
related to globalization and political stability. Bremmer (2006) states, ”Openness enables change.
Change is an essential ingredient in growth and prosperitv. Only the free exchange of information,
values, ideas and people can build a sustainable global stability that enriches all who take part in it." This
can only happen_ with the continuous reduction of barriers to the flow of internationäl tourism and
hospitality education and training. Today's international students will be !eaders of their countries
tomorrow. All will leave their host countries having contributed to and gained intercultural
understanding and appreciation (WTTC, 1994).

At present, there are 234 million international jobs created through the provision of travel and tourism
products and services. Hence, a highly educated workforce is' needed due to the continued growth and
success of the global tourism and hospitality industry. Marriott International recently announced a
major expansion in the global marketplace with the addition of 30,000 new hotel rooms in India and
China, together with tens of thousands of rooms added through acquisitions to the US and Canada
portfolio. China was expected to lead the world in tourism and hospitality growth through 2016.
Marriott International has currently 30 hotels in China. Marriott, an undisputed world leader in quality
hospitality products and services, will invest millions of dollars in the education and training of its newly
recruited international workforce to meet this global growth strategy. According to Chairman and CEO ].
W. Marriott Jr., the lodging industry is a global business dominated by four factors, namely‚ global
wealth, demographics, trade, and worId-class quality service workforce. The fourth factor, a world-class
quality service workforce, requires a commitment to outstanding international tourism and hospitality
education and training.

Emerging Tourism and Hospitality Markets

The seventh major tourism and hospitality issue refers to emerging tourism and hospitality markets.
China and India are the two emerging tourism and hospitality markets in the near future. These two
countries account for about one-third of the world's popu|ation. Each country‘s economy is exploding
and a greater segment 'of the population is anxious to travel. Both countries are emerging as important
receiving _and generating countries for tourism and hospitality (Edgell‚ 2008). Russia could also become
a country generating and receiving tourists in the future.
ln terms of arrivals and tourist receipts, Europe continues to account for onehalf of the world's tourism
and hospitality market. Asia and the Pacihc have been the fastest-growing regional market, surpassing
the Americas ( Edge", 2008). The Americas will still be strong, insofar as international tourist receipts are
concerned, larger due to the combined influences of the United States, Canada, and Mexico. ln terms of
major generating and receiving countries, the United States and much of Europe will continue to
produce millions of tourists every year (Edgell, 2008).

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will be an emerging tourism and hospitality narket in the future.'ln the
past, this small country has been ecohomically dependent .n its petroleum industry. The UAE launched
the first major indoor ski slope in 2001 in )ubai. This made UAE a global tourism destination. The UAE
intends to launch many ew tourism and hcspitality products over the next years.

Gabon in Africa is another emerging tourism and hospitality market. Gaben is an il-rich country turning
to tourism and hospitality. Gabon's leaders realized that their conc. .ic future cannot depend solely on
oil. So, they have made a policy decision to evelop ecotourism as an a|ternative to the petroleum
industry. Their plan is that 11% fthe country will become national parks with emphasis on outdoor-
related tourism Edge", 2008).

South America is a continent that could emerge as a tourism and hospitality 1arket in the future. South
America has tremendous potential for tourism and ' ospitality development. It is still larger undeveloped
and has many opportunities for aurism and hospitalitv development. If strong policies and plans are
established for Jstainable tourism and hospitality development, South America could emerge as an
nportant tourism and hospitality market (Edgell, 2008).

guality Tourism and Hospitality Products and Experiences

The eighth major tourism and hospitality issue is quality tourism and hospitality roducts and
experiences. Tourists demand greater variety, Hexibility, and quality in 1eir tourism and hospitality
products (Edgell, 2008). Quality in tourism and hospitality <periences is usually high on the tourist’s list.

Air travel remains a travel issue as far as quality is concerned (Edgeli‚ 2008). Air avel receives several
complaints in terms of quality. Air travelers experienced higher Jality airline services in the 19705 and
19805. In general, they are not very happy ith air travel nowadays although air travel is less expensive at
present than it was in ne 19705 and 19805. This situation is shown in travelers more frequently driving
to , astinations they formerly flew to visit (Edgell‚ 2008). .

In the future, the number and variety of tourism and [Link] products will lange. Adventure travel
(jungle tours, safaris‚ trekking, underwater explorat‘ion) to »ace travel is being experienced by
adventure travelers. There will be no shortage ‘ activities for the active travelers (Edgell‚ 2008). India, for
example, realized that aalthcare is the growing global industry. Hence, it has deve!cped hote!-style
healthcare anters in which the family of the patient is able to stay in beautiful surroundings and
1couraged to take part in tourism and hospitality-related activities.

Tourists look for a clean environment, more nature-based tourism, and cultural urism. Tomorrow's
travelers will be better informed than today's travelers with gard to tourism destinations because e-
commerce tools are used more effectively in e planning of travel. Thus, the future of tourism and
hospitality will greatly depend \ the introduction of new quality tourism and hospitality products and
experiences.

Destinations that offer high quality tourism and hospitality products will receive the benefits.

Space tourism, regarded as the century's newest tourism product, will grow tremendously as soon as
price becomes more reasonable. At present, a space trip package costs $20 million. Dennis Tito‚ a US
businessman, became the first tourist to reach outer space in 2001, traveling in a Russian space shuttle
to the International Space Station. The others were Mark Shuttleworth in 2002; Gregory Olsen in 2005;
Anousheh Ansarl, the hrst female space tourist In 2006; and Charles Simonyi who paid $25 million for a
two-week trip to the International Space Station In 2007. In the very near future, Russia may begin to
offer trips around the moon for $100 million. So far, Russia is the only country with an effective space
tourism policy.

Undersea tourism ls emerging as a tourism market that will Iikely expand in the future. Exploring the
bottom of the ocean ls not as expensive as space tourism. Another new global tourism product that is
gaining populaer ls volunteer vacations. In 2006, 696 of the world's population undertook a vacation to
help less fortunate people or to support a humanitarian cause. See Figure 6.

„merships and Strategic Alliances in Tourism and Hospitality

A recognized form of coopet1’tion is the rewarding of frequent travelers with points

. hich can be used with car rentai companies, hotels, airlines, and other components

=the tourism and hospitality industry. Hotels that have strategie alliances with certain

rlines will give the visitors points for room nights spent at a hotel which accumulate

16 are redeemable for free airline tickets or upgrades or for use in booking future ptel rooms.

Tourism and hospitality partnerships are a form of cooperation to facilitate )mpet'it'ive‚ and at the same
time, mutual interests. They occur in the local, regional, m'or:a%‚ and international levels and can be a
combination of private and public zctors establishments. Two important words in partnerships are
responsibility and wllaborat1'on. lt is through connectivity that successful partnerships are formed.

Tourism strategie allianées are formed when the different sectors of the tourism 1d hospitality
industryare connected by a common band such as a market opportunity 'threat to market stability like
war or a terrorism event, and when they recognize ne need for joining the alliance for their mutual
benefit. Strategic alliances, just like mrism and hospitality partnerships, can occur on many levels.

Through strategie alliances in tourism and hospitality, the tourism and hospitality dustry can maximize
its use of outsourcing particularly in the areas of cost fectiveness, cost reduction, and brand onalty.
Outsourcing can provide information \ fiights, weather, crisis management, or services that the traveler
may demand. short, partnerships and alliances in the tourism and hospitality industry can help the
establishment of alternative companies and service providers. Coopetitv'on can 1courage a competitive
yet cooperative relationship of new companies and welltablished agencies to explore the growth and
expansion of tourism products and Tvices.

he Impacts of Health Issues on Tourism and Hospitality

The tenth major tourism and hospitality issue is the impact of health issues on ‘"me and hospitality.
Most travelers avoid the areas that have high health risks. sffases spread more rapidly due to travel,
particularly through international aviation. 390rts released by Harvard Researchers showed that the flu
virus spread more rapidly le t0 the international tourism and hospitality, especially air travel.

F(‘:ar of disease reduces travel demand. Other diseases that affect tourism and J$pitiliity are AIDS, cARS,
and foot and mouth disease. AIDS was originally brought

to the United States and Canada by a f15ght attendant who contracted the disease in Africa. SARS
spread rapidly throughout Asia and Canada. The foot and mouth disease spread from the United
Kingdom to Continental Europe. Due to the SARS scare, the hotel occupancy rate in Hong Kong went
down from 82% to 5%. After the outbreak of SARS _and the subsequent travel advisories from the World
Health Organization (WHQ), tourist arrivals in China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Singapöre decreased.
After the . outbreak of the foot and mouth disease in Europe, the United Kingdom lost between £2.7
and £3.2 billion due to postponement and cancellation of trips.

Policy makers now need to react to health crises in their own _countries. They should formulate
strategies to provide support to individual countries and recommend restricted travel to affected
countries. Tourism and hospitality organizations must take leading roles in the development and support
of tourism and hospitality health measures and safeguards. '

Effects of Natural Disasters on Tourism and Hospitality

The eleventh major tourism and hospitality issue is the eß‘ects ofnatural disasters on tourism and
hospitality. Natural disasters have devastating impacts on the tourism and hospitality industry. People
avoid travel to affected areas. Once this occurs, there is limited opportunity to use tourism and
hospitality to restart the economy or to obtain new revenues to reinvest in the tourism and hospitality
industry and in the welI-being of the local residents (Edgell‚ 2008).
Airline disruptions caused by storms result in delays and cancellations in weather-affected locations. In
addition, delays and groundings cause airplanes to be misallocated for the start of the next round of
flights.

Two major storms such as Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, USA and the. tsunami in Phuket, Thailand
caused mass disruptions in domestic and international tourism. After the hurricane, the New Orleans
tourism and hospitality industry lost $5 million per day due to the lack of tourist arrivals. The tsunami
resulted in huge losses in tourism and hospitality in Thailand. Tourist arrivals in Phuket went down to
44.7% after the first four months. New Orleans and Phuket slowly recovered from the disaster they have
experienced.

Other types of natural disasters also have lasting impacts. Mudslides disrupt business enterprises,
generate huge cleanup costs, and destroy landscapes. Venezuela suffered severe mudslides in the
19905. This resulted in the decline of tourist arrivals by more than 25% in 1999.

Because of the negative impacts of natural disasters, new public policy tools and best practices need to
be developed that respond to natural disastérs. Travelers need transportation systems and alternative
accommodations, access to telephones and other communication devices, end pieces to stay in case
their present !cdging is destroyed or damaged. Safety concerns include clean drinking water and the
physical safety of tourists. Tourist organizations need to review contingency plans for workers.