With terrorists targeting holiday spots, will tourists stay at home or will they brave the climate of conflict? Shane Hegarty writes.
For decades the world has been getting smaller. We travel farther and more often. We buy villas in Spain and apartments in Turkey. We backpack and relax into a package holiday. Yet the increasing numbers of terrorist attacks could frighten off tourists. Incidents such as last week's bombing in Turkey's Kusadasi - which killed Irish teenager Tara Whelan and four others - are reminders that tourists are now seen as legitimate terrorist targets. Even in a shrinking world are we in danger of going into retreat?
Tourists make soft targets, and can either be seen as symbols of a cultural invasion - as was the case in Bali - or as a conduit through which to make an attack on the infrastructure and economy of the local government, such as in Turkey and Spain. Whether targeted by Islamic terrorists or local groups, travellers have been victims in Indonesia, Kenya, Spain and Egypt. There have been deadly bomb attacks in Morocco and Tunisia. It seems particularly prevalent at the moment. The Kusadasi bomb was the second by Kurdish activists within a month, and follows similar tactics in Spanish resorts by the Basque separatist group ETA. In April, tourists in Cairo were wounded by a suicide bomber. Meanwhile, a car-bomb explosion in Bulgaria last week injured two German tourists, and was the third such recent explosion. Although the tourists were unfortunate bystanders, caught up in a feud between rival criminal gangs, Bulgarian authorities fear that it will put a dent in the growing number of visitors.
While some areas always had no-go regions because of civil unrest, such as Indonesia, other previously calm destinations have seen recent violence. Fighting between authorities and Islamic terrorists in southern Thailand has seen almost 1,000 deaths and, as attacks become better organised, it threatens to spill over into the resorts. Rebel activity in Nepal, long considered a beacon of tranquillity, means that tourists often have to pay Maoist rebels in order to visit particular areas and must deal with an ever-present threat of violence.
Yet, the tourist has proven to be resilient. Despite early expectations, people did not rush to cancel their Turkish holidays. Egypt's tourism industry has remained strong. Neither Tunisia nor Morocco was affected by attacks there and Bali survived the 2002 bombing. ETA's targeting of resorts did not impact on visitor numbers in Spain, nor did the al-Qaeda bombing of Madrid. However, London has reported a drop in tourism - both foreign and domestic - since the July 7 attacks, and the more recent incidents may compound that.
"Generally, Irish tourists are very philosophical," believes Bepi Gaidoni, a director of the Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA). "I wouldn't say that we're a country used to terrorism, but people understand that if something happens in a country it doesn't make it a war zone. It's probably a uniquely Irish thing, actually. The Americans will run for home when something happens, but the Irish will be quite good about it."
EVEN A COUNTRY that was once a war zone can recover its tourist industry. A decade ago, Croatia was known more for war than for a peaceful two weeks in the sun. In recent years, though, it has become one of the most fashionable European destinations. Gaidoni believes that the world is opening up more, and that tourists will not be increasingly restricted in where they can holiday. "Previously no-go areas of South America are opening up. Africa, with the obvious places aside, is now far easier to get around."
Travel agents, he says, are continually aware of safety and won't pack people off to places that clearly aren't safe. However, there must be a fear that the trouble spots are becoming less predictable, and that thesanctuaries of the resorts are being deliberately targeted. But Gaidoni points out that the numbers of tourists killed in such attacks each year still remain relatively low, while security has been stepped up in airports and the public is also far more vigilant. "If a bag was left on its own in an airport a few years ago it could sit there for ten minutes before anyone noticed. Now, it wouldn't last 10 seconds."
We are clearly living in more sensitive times. When this writer visited a hotel in Istanbul recently, the car I was travelling in was swept for explosives as a matter of routine. It's worth remembering that tourists are far more likely to have their wallet pinched than they are to get caught up in a terrorist attack. Besides, tourists have often proved adept at cossetting themselves in resorts. Jamaica and South Africa all saw thriving tourism even when travellers were warned of the dangers of wandering too far from their hotels. Tourists have always been able to ignore the grubby political state of a country once its beaches were golden. The Maldives might be a paradise for wealthy westerners, but it's not much fun for many who live there. When anti-government demonstrations led to violence two years ago, many holidaymakers were surprised to learn that they were being pampered in a country with a reputation for treating its own citizens with far less hospitality.
SOME TOURISTS EVEN revel in the danger. Geoff Hann runs Hinterland Travel, a UK company specialising in bringing groups into countries that aren't on the standard tourist trail. This week he takes a group to Kashmir (relatively calm after years of conflict between India and Pakistan). In a couple of months he goes to Afghanistan (despite the US invasion some areas remain Taliban strongholds), although he warns clients that neither they nor their guides will be insured while they are there. The cheapest policy they could find was £290 a day for 25 days.
In 2003, he even brought tourists on a two-week holiday in post-Saddam Iraq. For £1,300, tourists took in the holy shrine cities of Najaf and Kerbala and the ancient sites of Babylon and Samarra. He would like to go back into Iraq but accepts that it just isn't possible right now; he is planning trips to Kurdistan instead. Hann admits that, occasionally, some of those who book through him are "gung-ho and just don't care" but most are curious to see parts of the world rich in history and culture. "They're not worried as long as they get to see the places they want to. And we look after them as much as possible."
Hann, whose many adventures include being in Lebanon at the outbreak of civil war, insists that package tourists will not be put off by attacks. "There are a few million people visiting Turkey every year. While one death is too many, in proportion it is a relatively low figure," he says. "The Irish and the English are quite independent. They don't want to be ordered about, so they say 'why shouldn't we go there?' because if they don't they're allowing those idiots to achieve what they are trying to."
Hot spots: be prepared
Turkey: The Kurdistan Freedom Falcons is believed to be behind the Kusadasi attack, as it was behind another bombing at nearby resort Cesme. It wants independence for Kurds in south-east Turkey.
Thailand: Almost 1,000 people have been killed in 18 months of fighting between the state and Islamic groups in the south of the country. Still best known for its beaches and relaxed welcome, tourism so far has not been affected, although rebels have threatened tourist areas such as Phuket and Krabi.
Nepal: In recent civil unrest, tourists have been caught up in bombings by Maoist rebels. The Department of Foreign Affairs says "Irish citizens are advised against non-essential travel to Nepal at this time". However, it remains a popular backpacker destination.
Egypt: Three recent attacks on tourist areas, which wounded several visitors, have put the authorities on high alert. With a high threat of terrorism, Foreign Affairs advises that "Irish citizens should exercise caution and maintain vigilance".
Indonesia: The bombings in Bali and Jakarta killed many tourists, and Irish citizens are warned against all non-essential travel. While Bali is still popular, tourists should plan any travel around the country carefully.