Safety: A Growing Concern Among Travelers

The mold of traditional tourism marketing campaigns has been broken as the factors determining a traveler’s destination choice is no longer limited to history, natural beauty, or shopping. Visitor safety has emerged as a major factor in the travel decision-making process of travelers given the emergence of external threats that pose risks to their well-being. As defined by the UN World Tourism Organization, these external threats include terrorism, civil unrest, the outbreak of infectious diseases, and severe weather disturbances.

Destination and travel safety is now a major concern among travelers and is considered as important as quality of services rendered. This is particularly true of travelers from Asia Pacific, comprised of the family travel segment and of the growing market of generation ‘Y’ travelers. Among Asian travelers, the Japanese are known to withdraw from travel at the sign of any threat as illustrated during the events of 9/11 in 2001, SARS and the Iraqi War in 2003, and the tsunami/earthquake in 2005.

Previously, the travel industry viewed safety concerns as an inconsequential or negative issue that would scare off customers and destroy reputations. But the outlook today is changing as agents and operators realize the gravity of the issue among travelers.

Hence, destinations that can substantiate their claim of safety have a competitive edge over others. And in this aspect, Scandinavian countries along with Austria are at an advantage as these nations have always been considered as safe destinations owing to a stable political climate and a high regard for people’s welfare. Under the 2008 Country Brand Index of the PR and marketing firm, FutureBrand, Norway, Switzerland, New Zealand, Sweden, Denmark, Canada, Monaco, Belgium, Austria, and Australia were listed among the top 10 destinations for safety.

Source: eTurboNews at www.eturbonews.com