Tourism surviving in turbulent times

Security concerns, natural disasters and outbreaks of infectious diseases have a tremendous impact on the global tourism industry.

However, international experts believe the industry can survive turbulent times by using progressive risk management strategies, according to a UQ researcher.

Professor Jeff Wilks, Director of UQ`s Centre for Tourism Risk Management is a co-editor of the book Tourism in Turbulent Times: Towards Safe Experiences for Visitors. The book has just been launched in the United Kingdom and presented to a United Nations tourism forum.

Professor Wilks` Centre is based in the School of Tourism and Leisure Management.

"Tourism in Turbulent Times draws together contributions from industry and government to address traditional concerns for tourism, such as crime, as well as the very modern and relevant threats posed by terrorism and natural disasters,” Professor Wilks said.

“This book presents an international review of the challenges faced by the world’s largest industry and by governments around the world to provide safe and enjoyable experiences for visitors.

"Disasters such as the flooding of New Orleans, terrorist attacks as we’ve seen in Bali, and the impending ‘bird flu’ epidemic, have all made the tourism industry very conscious of the need to protect its customers."

This book also differs from other texts on the market by including a large group of tourism industry practitioners as contributors. It draws on the background and expertise of contributors from 11 countries, representing academics, government officers and industry professionals.

It also examines the growing adventure tourism market, characterised by small operators who need good risk management practices to weather adverse global events and run a financially viable small business.

"This topic is particularly relevant in Queensland, which has a number of adventure tourism operators and growing issues surrounding public liability insurance,” Professor Wilks said.

“By throwing the net wide to include medicine, law, psychology, sociology, education and hard science in this book, we have been able to address issues on the local scale for industry, as well as dealing with questions from global business on security and policy.

“It also highlights the positive responses made by various sectors of the industry at destination, national and international levels.“

The Pacific Asia Travel Association CEO Peter de Jong and Director of Strategic Intelligence John Koldowski launched the book at the World Travel Market, a gathering of Ministers and senior tourism industry leaders in London.

For further information please contact Jeff Wilks at j.wilks@uq.edu.au or telephone +61 0419 711 967