Zawaya

Wherever terrorism lands, tourism leaves

By: Mahmoud Belhimer

Wherever terrorism lands, tourism leaves. This rule applies to the Arab Maghreb, and all countries where terrorist attacks happen, for example: Indonesia (the Bali bombings that caused 202 deaths in 2002), Egypt (the series of bombings in Luxor and Sharm El-Sheikh), and even the United States of America (the attacks of September 11, 2001) where tourism was affected due to the fear of terrorism.

When the media cover these events on a large scale, they carry the message that the region is not safe, and that the lives of tourists are in danger at any moment. They also revive painful scenes of horrific terrorist attacks that targeted tourists in several regions of the world.

The first direct repercussion of these actions is the reluctance of tourists to go to the Maghreb, and choosing other more secure tourist areas. This negatively affects the growth of tourism activity in the region.

We can consider for example the consequences of the bombing of a synagogue in Djerba, Tunisia in 2002 on the tourism sector – which provides around 400 jobs and annual revenues of approximately two billion dollars -, as the demand of German tourists declined by around 6% in the following years. Algeria has been having difficulty getting rid of the shameful images that the media embedded of the terrorism of the nineties, and replacing them with images of a country with significant tourism potential that it looks forward to developing.

However, terrorism does not affect only tourism, but also paralyzes various other aspects, such as the economy, as investors – both local and foreign ones – do not risk their money in troubled areas, and therefore look for other more stable zones with guaranteed profit.

Terrorist threats are also usually used as an excuse for the repression of freedom and the imposition of security policies.

Despite the decline of terrorism in the region, simple events similar to those we usually see in stable countries are leading to “bad publicity” for the Maghreb destination, because they revive security fears inspired by disturbing pictures of the recent past. This results in obstructing the efforts of building a tourist industry, which constitutes a strategic bet for the future of the region, as a provider of jobs and a source of fungible currency, and a developer of other vital sectors.

Therefore, we should first pay attention to the media coverage of tourist incidents; as sometimes, the media provides “free publicity” for terrorists by giving exaggerated weight to these events, which is exactly what the terrorists are usually seeking. This might seem complicated since terrorists themselves have started using information and communication technologies for propaganda purposes, but this can be controlled through the adoption of a deliberate campaign of public relations, showing that there is room for a normal and beautiful life in the region.

The tourism sector also needs huge investments in several areas, without neglecting aspects related to the security system that could be enough to persuade tourists that the Maghreb destination is both enjoyable and safe.

But the lasting solution lies in addressing the root of the problem, which is “the phenomenon of terrorism”, that requires a comprehensive approach (security, political, economic, social and cultural) to eradicate it instead of addressing its consequences.