Terrorism and Tourism
Vijay Sakhuja
Maritime Security Analyst
Political and religious leaders across the world expressed indignation at the Taliban’s decision to destroy the Buddhist statues in Bamiyan. Gen Hamid Gul, former head of
Pakistan
’s ISI, was quoted as saying: “This is their [the Taliban’s] way of forcing the world to pay attention, to take them seriously . The recent threat to blow up the Taj Mahal by the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) validates Gul’s statement. The security around it and other major centers of tourism has now been tightened.
This is not the first time that tourism has become a target of terrorist attacks. In the early nineties, terrorists kidnapped five foreign tourists in
Kashmir
. There were several other incidents of pilgrims and even tourists being targeted by the terrorists. The recent LeT fidayeen (suicide) attack at the Red Fort clearly shows that the tourism industry is vulnerable to attacks.
Terrorists are well aware that the tourism industry is averse to uncertainty and sensitive to political and economic events, and have capitalized on these vulnerabilities for two reasons: first, this is seen as a way to influence political behavior and, secondly, as a tool to destroy the state economy. These were the motives that triggered the actions of the Al-gama’at al-Islamiya, an Egyptian Islamic organisation that surfaced in 1997. It was responsible for several attacks in
Egypt
, including the assault on foreign tourists in
Luxor
in November 1997 in which 62 died. This brought Egyptian tourism to a grinding halt.
The impact of the events of September 11 on tourism is no different. According to the International Labor Organization, they severely affected the tourism sector and resulted in the loss of nearly 9 million jobs worldwide and a 30-40 percent drop in travel demands in the
US
, with revenues declining drastically. The impact on hotels was immediate with a drop-off in business of 40 to 50 per cent. The impact on the airline industry has been so damaging that it will take much time before it takes off.
While international attention has focused on the air and land components of the tourism industry, little attention has been paid to the disastrous effects on marine tourism. The September 11 attacks in the
US
have also taken a heavy toll of the sea cruise industry. Fewer passengers are embarking on liners. Renaissance Cruise filed for bankruptcy, stating that it was a victim of the terrorism fallout. Similarly, the London-based P&O Princess Cruises and the US-based Royal Caribbean announced a merger, noting that ships around the world were half empty. The declining revenue is due to companies struggling to pay more for security and insurance.
Terrorists have struck at cruise liners and merchant vessels to achieve their goals. In 1961, political insurgents embarked the Portuguese passenger liner
Santa Maria
as valid passengers. The ensuing scuffle resulted in several casualties, including one officer killed and eight crew members wounded.
But it was the Achille Lauro incident that sensitized the international community to the menace of terrorism at sea and the formulation of an international convention by the UN. This hijacking was a wake-up call that resulted in the introduction of several security measures such as the screening of all boarding passengers by metal detectors, hand baggage checks by X-Ray machines, surveillance and inspections of the ship’s hull and added physical security of ships.
At the World Tourism Organization’s 14th General Assembly and the Millennium Conference of Tourism Leaders in October 2001 held in
Osaka
, the participants were unanimous in their opinion that ‘terrorism is the direct enemy of tourism’. Closer home, Prime Minister Vajpayee noted that terrorism is the foe of tourism. He said, “Whereas terrorism feeds on intolerance and arrogance, tourism breeds tolerance and empathy. Terrorism seeks to erect walls of hatred between faiths and communities. Tourism breaks such barriers. Terrorism detests pluralism, whereas tourism celebrates it. Terrorism has no respect for human life. Tourism pays tribute to all that is beautiful in nature and in human life .
According to experts, the tourism industry faces a major crisis and it will take some time for it to recover from the fallout of the September 11 attacks. If that be the case, the industry needs to face up to the fact that terrorism has become a component of modern day travel, and must develop strategies to counter its effect. Industry experts need to undertake a major overhaul of the security apparatus, building designs, staff-training, employ ‘sea and air marshals’ and use technology to improve security. There will always be risks, but a judicious employment of innovative security measures and guest management would add to the resilience of the industry.
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