Impact of terrorism on Tourism in the Asia Pacific

The study aims to provide insight into the impact of terrorism on the tourism industry in the Asia Pacific region, and the findings will be useful to policymakers, business owners, and investors in the tourism and hospitality industries. The proposed study will contribute to the existing literature on the subject and provide strategies that can be adopted by businesses to stay afloat during times of economic instability caused by terrorism.

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Impact of terrorism on Tourism in the Asia Pacific
Student’s full name:
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Table of Contents
Section I.................................................................................................................................................4
Introduction.......................................................................................................................................4
Statement of the Problem.................................................................................................................5
Research Aim.....................................................................................................................................6
Research Objectives..........................................................................................................................6
Research Questions...........................................................................................................................6
Justification of the Project.................................................................................................................7
Potential Output of the Research......................................................................................................8
Section II................................................................................................................................................9
Conceptual Framework.....................................................................................................................9
Methodology.....................................................................................................................................9
Section II..............................................................................................................................................12
Organization of the Study................................................................................................................12
Project Budget.................................................................................................................................13
Project Schedule..............................................................................................................................13
Bibliography.........................................................................................................................................14

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Section I
Introduction
Tourism is a significant contributor to the economy of many countries. According to
the Romagnoli (2016), tourism represents up to 10% of the global GDP. Overall, tourism has
many benefits including but not limited to building government charge income, reducing
joblessness, and improving the income. As such, tourism is one of the biggest industries in
the world at an average rate of 4.6 percent per annum (Ahlfeldt et al., 2015). Concomitantly,
the tourism industry is susceptible to environmental shocks like terror attacks, and the
incidences of infectious diseases shaping the risk perception of tourists about the destination
countries (Walden, 2017). Owing to the background of terror attacks like the 9/11 whereby
more than 3000 people perished and changed the outlook of terrorism, and the series of terror
attacks since the new millennium, studies on the implications of terrorism on tourism are
warranted. According to Chheang (2013) studies on the effect of terrorism on tourism had
been studied even before the 9/1 tragedy.
Countries in the Asia Pacific region are characterised by diverse histories, cultures,
economic and political systems. The culture, politics and economic landscapes in this region
are basically shaped by Indian, Chinese, and European sources. Since the end of the Cold
War, there has been regional integration and cooperation between the 46 Countries forming
the Asia Pacific (Chheang, 2013). Accordingly, tourism has been one of the major
contributors to building unity within diversity given the multiple channels of communication
(IPK International , 2016).
This project proposes to examine the impact of terrorism on tourism in the Asia
Pacific. Further, it addresses the issues of regionalism in the Asia Pacific and elaborates the

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impact of terrorism on international tourism. Moreover, the study will attempt to develop and
contribute to the existing studies on regionalism and tourism development amid the
environmental shocks.
Statement of the Problem
Terrorism is not a new phenomenon, but oppression based on fear has been increasing
relentlessly in recent years due to increased incidence of terrorism. Since 1985, the scale of
psychological oppressor assaults has increased, and traveling is also slower; nonetheless,
oppressor assaults have become more rampant, and travelers have adjusted their movements
as fear takes the place of protection (Lennon & O'Leary, 2005). Several occurrences have
impacted tourism negatively and movement of people in the Asia Pacific region in previous
decades among them the September 11, 2001 terror attack in New York, the 2002 bombing in
Bali, the war in Iraq, and the natural calamities such as the earthquakes in China, Hurricanes
in the United States, and the Tsunami in the Indian Ocean. These incidences affected the
perceptions of travelers more so in neighboring countries as well as those from the global
tourism arena.
Similarly, the psychological effect on the local people affects their productivity
ultimately impacting on the nation’s economy in the form of a diminishing GDP. In addition,
the reduction in the foreign direct investment (FDI) is among the sources of increased
financial costs associated with fear trading. Lee (2016) asserts that FDI entails buying
enough stock in an external company to gain administrative control. As indicated by Drakos
and Kutan (2003), psychological effects can cause harm to the tourism industry by reducing
the number of international visitors, and a later introduction of oppressor assault based on
fear can equally prompt a significant reduction in the FDI. Economics specialists argue that a
higher incidence of psychological oppression can lead to decrease interest in investing in
regions that are characterized by fear trading (Enders & Sandler , 1996; Asia-Pacific

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Economic Cooperation, 2017). Therefore, an increase in the level of fear among international
travelers can cite increased danger and psychological assault which can impact the image and
destabilize the foundations of the nation. Social communities are directly affected by
implications of fear trading (Din et al., 2015; Ajogbeje et al., 2017). Finally, negative
psychological effects can lead to the decline of businesses in the tourism industry.
Research Aim
The aim of the project is to understand the impact of terrorism on the tourism industry
in the Asia Pacific region. Particularly, the research will seek to examine the implications of
the psychological effect (herein referred to as psychological warfare) on the tourism business.
Hardly any investigation has been completed successfully to reveal the understanding on the
real implications of fear-based oppression on tourism including the important issues, results,
and the lessons learned as well as the reaction of businesses in the tourism industry.
Research Objectives
The primary objective of the study is to explore the impact of terrorism on tourism in
the region of Asia Pacific. The secondary objective is to find out the implications of terrorism
on tourism within the country of occurrence and on the international tourists in the region of
Asia Pacific.
Research Questions
The research questions are formulated to the researcher during the research. The research
projected shall be implemented according to the following research questions:
1. How does terrorism impact the amount of tourist activity?
2. Does the occurrence of terrorism and harshness have more significant implications for
the tourism and hospitality industries?

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Justification of the Project
Tourists often feel scared of traveling to destinations considered to be high-risk areas.
The perception of fear and the refusal to travel to such areas can have serious implications on
the economies of the affected areas (Buigut et al., 2017). The impact is largely felt in the
multiple destinations where tourism is a significant contributor to the nation’s economy as it
generates most of the income. The Asia Pacific region has member states that are categorized
under third world countries with tourism being their largest source of revenue (Wilks &
Moore, 2014). For instance, Thailand recently placed a curfew across the nation following the
establishment of martial laws. However, the curfew had to be lifted in several areas
considered to be high tourist destination zones such as Kho Samui, Phuket, and Pattaya. This
followed the increase in complaints from business owners who were crying foul from the
decline of the tourism industry. The amount of time taken was little before the tourism
industry could feel the impact of political conflicts in the country. However, the importance
of tourism to the economy of Thailand led to the withdrawal of the curfew in areas of tourist
destinations (Carvalho, 2017).
This paper proposes to research with the help of an extensive literature review to
inform the study. The findings of the study are expected to provide strategies that can be
adopted by businesses in the tourism industry to stay afloat in a world marred with natural
and human-made shocks that impact human psychology and national economy. Therefore,
this research proposal offers the following benefits:
 The research will help the general public to understand the relationship between
terrorism and tourism. More, those interested will also take into account the
implication of terrorism on people and the economy.
 This proposal will be of benefit to scholars who seek to broaden their knowledge and
understanding of how terrorism and fear may shape the economy of a country.

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 Business owners and managers can take advantage of the information provided in this
project to fight psychological warfare as this proposal will assist them in identifying
the correct areas of focus during and after a terror attack or other causes of economic
instability such as wars. However, the information in this proposal does not guarantee
a particular strategy to be employed in the reaction to shocks.
 Further, the findings of the proposal will be of significance to policymakers in the
formulation of laws regarding terror attacks and tourism.
 Finally, business startups may find this proposal useful in comprehending the causes,
effect, and implications of terrorism on tourism and hospitality. As a result, new
ventures will be better prepared to proactively respond to incidences that would cause
fear and psychological warfare.
Potential Output of the Research
The outcome of the project will offer insight into the impact of terrorism on the
tourism industry especially for the nations in the Asia Pacific regions which would help in the
development of survival strategies during unpredicted tragic events that would cause
economic decline. Though the impact of terrorism would be different for every industry, the
research will still be beneficial in understanding and illustrate the general outlook of terror
conditions. The adaptation of businesses in the tourism industry during such events is reliant
upon many variables such as resource availability, and external factors like government
policy and psychological warfare. These variables will affect the final output of the project.
The objectives and the research questions outlined in this proposal will be covered through
the collection of information, the analysis of data, and the establishment of the findings.
These potential outputs of the research will be important sources of learning for the research
problem identified in the project proposal. This project will be equally important to future
investors who would like to venture into the tourism and hospitality industries.

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Section II
Conceptual Framework
The conceptual framework developed explores the effect of terrorism (IV) on the
tourism industry in the Asia Pacific region (DV). Terrorism is capable of terrorizing the
tourism industry (Ranga & Pradhan, 2014). However, this proposal opines that the impact of
terrorism on tourism does not only affect the perspectives of the travellers but also the
businesses that are aligned to the tourism industry. Such businesses include those in the
hospitality industry, among others. Thus, terrorism is the independent variable and its
implication on the dependent variables (tourism and related business) will be researched.
From the conceptual framework, it is hypothesized that terrorism has a significant impact on
tourism and related businesses in the Asia Pacific.
Figure 1: Conceptual Framework
Methodology
Literature Review
The magnitude of the negative impact of fear on tourism in the countries making up
the Asia Pacific region will be tested using information acquired regarding the chances and

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level of psychological oppression, FDI, GDP and travel measurements. The data will be
collected from five nations and a traversing period of five years. The distinct nations will
include India, Australia, Indonesia, Fiji and Bangladesh. These countries were selected
because of their proximity and accessibility and the gross domestic product.
The research will thus employ a qualitative approach in which secondary resources
with relevant material relating to eh topic of the study. Information about the GDP and the
FDI will be gathered from the World Bank and travel insights, like the value representing
sightseers and the volume of flights originating from the Australian Bureau of Statistics
(ABS). The philosophy of positivism will be employed, and deductive approach will be used
to facilitate the deduction of key concerns and to identify emerging themes from the analysis
of data (Saunders et al., 2015).
Sampling and Sample Size
The researcher in this proposal will employ the purposive sampling to identify the
resources and materials to be used in the review of the literature and the collection of
secondary data to be used in the study. The research will run a combination of the keywords
to identify the most relevant sources of information from various databases. The study will
choose a sample of 20 published and unpublished sources of data to inform the study. As
such, non-probability sampling technique will be employed in the study as information will
be collected from secondary resource about terror attacks and its implications on the socio-
economic aspects of life (Ranga & Pradhan, 2014).
Variables of the Study
The objective of this research is to explain the relationship between terrorism and
tourism. The proposal expects to find a positive relationship. Thus, the dependent variable is
tourism and the independent variable is terrorism. This proposal is a qualitative analysis.

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Secondary Data
Secondary data is defined as data collected from sources other than the primary
source of data (Bryman & Bell, 2015). Bryman and Bell (2015) assert that secondary data is
information collected for the purpose of another research other than for the current project.
Further, Peck et al. (2015) suggested that using the primary data of another reasercher by a
differetn researcher or scholar would imply that the data is no longer primary but rather
secondary data. The proposal uses secondary data sources including published articles,
reports, journals, books, Websites and other internet sources. The proposal adopts secondary
data from keywords searches and combinations like terrorism, Asia Pacific region tourists,
the socio-economic impact of terrorism, and terror attacks in Asia Pacific, et cetera. By
reviewing the secondary information the current study determined that it would be most
appropriate to use a qualitative approach.
Data Analysis
Data analysis refers to the method used in transforming raw data into conclusive
information to make deductions or inferences (Zikmund et al., 2013). The data to be gathered
is dependent on the objective of the study. The primary goal of data analysis is to create a
supporting base of the argument supporting the aim of the project and to arrive at a decisive
conclusion for the research. As such, the researcher shall identify the common themes in the
data using content analysis. The themes will be classified into categories identified during
open and axial coding procedures.
Data analysis is considered to be the most important phase of this proposal and shall
require the most time as raw data has to be carefully transformed into meaningful information
that will be interpreted to inform future decision-making processes. The qualitative data in
this proposal shall be presented as a definitive because of its secondary nature.

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Conclusion and Recommendations
Terrorism has significant implications for the tourism industry, and it is therefore
important for governments in the Asia Pacific region to develop and adopt appropriate
strategies to improve the levels of security to recover the confidence of travelers. Since the
perception of risk affects the decision of tourists, security measures should be able to
convince the tourists of their safety against the perceived risk. Moreover, countries can
enhance their brand outlook to improve their level of tourists’ attractions implying that
tourism organizations within Asia Pacific countries should utilize the media reactively to
promote the level of confidence among travellers. Consequently, the primary purpose of
future research should focus on mitigating the effect of negative media coverage and promote
the Asia Pacific as a secure and fulfilling destination for travelers. Media inclusion is vital in
influencing the decision of the tourists and governments should launch promotional
campaigns at the international level. At the same time, it is also critical to strengthen business
operations in the tourism industry and resist the shock of recent terror attacks (Wilks &
Moore, 2014). Ultimately, government and businesses must work collaboratively to provide
the necessary to strengthen the tourism sector.
Section II
Organization of the Study
The study will be organized as follows:
 Chapter One will cover the introduction of the research.
 Chapter Two will cover the research proposal as is in this paper.
 Chapter Three will include details of research methodology and literature review
 Chapter Four will report the Data Analysis and present the research as proposed.
 Chapter Five will include the synthesis and findings.

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 Chapter Six will summarise about Conclusion and Recommendation.
Project Budget
The entire research study is projected to cost approximately $2500 for effective
completion of the study within the given project time. The budget is specified for:
 Reviewing of secondary data sources like textbooks, journals, and online materials
and the collection of data will cost nearly $1500.
 Further, the mining and analysis of the huge amount of data into tables and charts will
require a budget of approximately $1000.
In Summary:
Activity Estimated Cost
Literature Review and Data collection $ 1500
Data Analysis $ 1000
Total Estimated Cost $ 2500
Project Schedule
The following Gantt chart below illustrates the timeline for the entire project from start to the
end.
Activity/ Time Start Finish Duration (Days)
Research proposal 17/05/2018 31/05/2018 14
Literature review 1/06/2018 30/06/2018 30
Data collection 1/07/2018 20/08/2018 50
Data analysis 21/08/2018 21/10/2018 60
Presentation and
Report submission
22/10/2018 22/11/2018 30

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