Minggu, 31 Mei 2009

Terrorism and Tourism

Topic: Terrorism and Tourism



The impact of terrorism on Bali’s informal tourism sector





Introduction



Tourism is a sector with immense growth potential in Bali,Tourism is the act of travel and visiting places, independent from the purpose. It includes private travel for holiday and recreation purposes but also business travel.

Definition of the World Tourist Organisation (WTO): Tourists are people who are "travelling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes not related to the exercise of an activity remunerated from within the place visited". Tourism can also be defined as a service industry with three main point: transport, accomodatiom,and services.



Terrorism is an anxiety-inspiring method of repeated violent action, employed by (semi-)clandestine individual, group, or state actors, for idiosyncratic, criminal, or political reasons, whereby—in contrast to assassination—the direct targets of violence are not the main targets. The immediate human victims of violence are generally chosen randomly (targets of opportunity) or selectively (representative or symbolic targets) from a target population, and serve as message generators. Threat- and violence-based communication processes between terrorist (organization), (imperiled) victims, and main targets are use to manipulate the main target (audience(s), turning it into a target of terror, a target of demands, or a target of attention, depending on whether intimidation, coercion, or propaganda is primarily sought". Schmid and Jongman (1988)



Tourism is growing steadily in many developing countries. Prices for long-haul flights are decreasing, and governments and donors encourage tourism as a way to increase foreign exchange, employment and income. However, tourism is prone to risk from uncontrollable ‘shocks’, such as health scares, terrorist attacks and natural disasters. In this. Based on background above the problem that will be discussed is the impact of terrorism on Bali’s tourism sector.



The impact of terrorism on Bali’s tourism sector

Tourism dominates the economy in Bali, with few alternative ways to make a living. The rapid growth in tourism has attracted migrants from other parts of Indonesia. While most Balinese are Hindu, the majority of migrants are Muslims. Most of the beach vendors in this study were immigrant Muslims from other islands. They were mainly young men, many of whom had learned foreign languages through their work, a useful skill in tourism.

The decline in visitor numbers after the 2002 bombings had several impacts. The beach vendors ranked these as follows:

* Most important was their loss of income, which fell by around two thirds. This meant vendors struggled with many major expenses, such as children’s education and participation in religious ceremonies and festivals.
* Stress, depression, crime and alcoholism all increased. These in turn affected social networks; for example, stealing caused a breakdown in trust between vendors.
* Tension between Hindus and Muslims increased. Hindus blamed Muslims for the bombings and their impact on the decline in tourism.
* Competition increased between vendors, because there were fewer tourists. This problem may not be resolved as tourist numbers recover, because more immigrant workers are also likely to arrive in Bali.

The researchers found that almost all assets – including skills, education, and access to finance, infrastructure and government services – had been negatively affected by the bombings. While the social networks between family and friends remained strong, especially in times of hardship, relationships between Hindu and Muslim communities had deteriorated.

Many people working in popular destinations have no alternative options, such as a second job or business. They will always be extremely vulnerable to shocks including terrorism. Based on the experiences in Bali, the researchers conclude:

* In places where no economic alternatives to tourism exist, such as Bali, policymakers should not promote tourism as a way to reduce the vulnerability of poor people. It actually makes them more vulnerable, because of the risk of shocks to the sector.
* A collapse in tourist arrivals corresponds to a collapse in incomes, causing vendors to sell their assets and cut back on costs, such as their children’s education. This has long-term social and economic impacts that do not easily recover when tourists return.

Source(s):
‘Terrorism and Tourism: the Vulnerability of Beach Vendors’ Livelihoods in Bali’, Journal of Sustainable Tourism 15.3, pages 249-266, by Kathleen Baker and Alex Coulter, 2007

Tidak ada komentar:

Posting Komentar

Pengikut