The Effects of Terrorism on the Decision-Making Process of Tourists.

This PhD analysed the effects of terrorism on tourism markets, examining the various factors that have limited the growth of the industry in those destinations affected. It focused primarily on the decisionmaking process of tourists in an attempt to ascertain if attitudes vary between different segments of tourists. It also analysed which attributes consumers rate as important in selecting holiday destinations to establish how important terrorism and the resulting factors are in the consumer's decision-making process. Finally, research was carried out to understand how the media influence consumer perceptions of destinations affected by terrorism. After a comprehensive review of previous research, primary research was carried out using both qualitative and quantitative means. A quantitative stratified random sample of 314 respondents formed the most salient source of primary research undertaken. The findings found overall that respondents rated the attribute of safety as very important. Only the factors of price/ value for money and climate were rated higher, and then only marginally. From the eleven independent variables tested for differences in the importance attached to the attribute of safety, seven were found to be statistically significant in the differences they showed. The most significant variable was the level of education of respondents. Other variables found to be statistically significant were gender, the presence of children in a household, age of those children in the household, general safety awareness levels and type of holiday most commonly undertaken by respondents. Only 26.4% of respondents indicated that they had visited a destination affected by terrorist activity. Variables of gender, occupation and education were found to be significant personal characteristics when looking at the differences in visitation patterns. Just over half (58%) of respondents who had not previously visited an affected destination stated that they would consider visiting a destination that had been subject to terrorist activity. Again occupation and education were found to be influential variables in the attitude towards visitation. The final aspect examined in order to gauge the affects of terrorism on holiday decision-making was to ascertain how long respondents would wait before considering visiting a destination that had been effected by terrorist activity in the past ten years. The results indicated that 55% of respondents would consider visiting a destination within two years. This figure increases to nearly 90% for respondents who would consider a destination that has been subject to terrorist activity within four years. There were much smaller numbers of respondents who would visit straight away (7.9%) or who would wait over five years (11%). Statistically significant differences were found between respondents depending on their gender and whether there were children in the household. Finally respondents' perceptions towards the news media and their willingness to visit destinations affected by terrorist activity were investigated. As one would expect, those respondents who agreed most with the statement that adverse media reports of destinations affected by terrorism put them off visiting were more likely to be negative in their willingness to visit affected destinations.