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The fear of terrorism and shift in cosmopolitan values

Vanda N. Veréb (School of Economics and Management, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal)
Helena Nobre (Department of Economics, Management, Industrial Engineering and Tourism, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal) (Research Unit on Governance, Competitiveness and Public Policies, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal)
Minoo Farhangmehr (Department of Management, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal)

International Journal of Tourism Cities

ISSN: 2056-5607

Article publication date: 2 November 2018

Issue publication date: 30 November 2018

622

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how international tourists’ cosmopolitan values change due to the restraining fear of terrorism, and how this change affects their worldview, destination perception and travel preferences.

Design/methodology/approach

In-depth interviews were conducted with international travellers from all five continents to pinpoint the universal shifts in cosmopolitan values, specifically regarding risk perception in the face of terrorism.

Findings

Tourists’ personal values are changing due to the increased risk of terrorism (or the perception of it), which prompts international travellers to act less on their desire for stimulation and more for their need for security when travelling. Just as any change in values tends to be relatively permanent, this value shift might have long-term consequences for the entire tourism industry.

Research limitations/implications

Terrorism risk perception and its retraining effect regarding willingness to travel were established to be significant and universal. However, this study suggests that the strength of the travellers’ cosmopolitan orientation influences the extent terrorism risk is acted upon. Results indicate that the higher the travellers’ cosmopolitan conviction is, the less significantly they seem to be affected by the fear of terrorism.

Practical implications

The study offers cues on how managers and policy makers can enhance destination image that keeps up with the current realities of global tourism in the face of terrorism, and highlights a promising market segment, strongly cosmopolitan travellers who are less concerned with potential travel risks and react less negatively in troubled times.

Originality/value

Most of the previous studies considered tourists’ cosmopolitanism as a stable orientation rather than a context-specific state. This study addresses this gap by exploring how resilient the tourists’ cosmopolitan desire for openness and freedom is under the risk perception of terrorism, and what effect the fear of terrorism has on their travel habits.

Keywords

Citation

Veréb, V.N., Nobre, H. and Farhangmehr, M. (2018), "The fear of terrorism and shift in cosmopolitan values", International Journal of Tourism Cities, Vol. 4 No. 4, pp. 452-483. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJTC-03-2018-0024

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2018, International Tourism Studies Association

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