Terrorism and Tourism: An investigation into travel motivation

Abstract

Terrorism is a contemporary challenge that is facing the tourism industry. This study identified that a relationship between terrorism and tourism existed. The main aim of this research was to understand how terrorism affects travel motivation. An online study of 126 respondents showed that terrorism does have an impact on travel motivation, but the effects do not always have a negative influence. Most of the respondents in the study stated that their main purpose of travel was for leisure and that they considered the threat of terrorism when booking a trip. It was established, however, that the characteristics of a destination often influenced the respondents' decision to return. The research found that many respondents would be willing to travel back to Western countries that had been affected by terrorism, but would refuse to travel to destinations primarily in the Middle East and North Africa. The study concludes by making recommendations for further research.