Interdependence between International Tourism and International Security Environment

Teodora Ivanuša, Maja Lesjak, Magdalena Roša, Iztok Podbregar

Purpose:

This article is a second part (continuation) of theory and research of article Soodvisnost turizma, okolja in nacionalne varnosti (Ivanuša, Lesjak, Roša in Podbregar, 2012). The article’s purpose is to provide a comprehensive and systematic view of security/safety in tourism/of tourists and a comprehensive analysis of security/safety in tourism/of tourists in domestic and international environment.

Design/Methods/Approach:

The methods of research are: Review and analysis of primary and secondary literature, descriptive method, interview, analysis and interpretation of acquires primary data and method of comparison between theory and practice.

Findings:

It is a fact that tourism affects on security/safety in environment. Security/safety and individual’s need for a sense of security/safety comes to the fore especially in tourist trips abroad. This following article is thematically focused on the security/safety of Slovenian tourists abroad. Ensuring security/safety in tourism/of tourists includes a number of preventive and curative activities of different entities; it has many challenges, which must be managed properly. Therefore it is essential to establish a proper system of crisis management in tourism.

Research limitations:

In the review and analysis of primary and secondary literature we were limited by using open sources. The focus of an article is on international tourism. Individual responses to questions in interviews are based on subjective view of the interviewee.

Originality/Value:

The article’s originality is to draw attention to interdependence between tourism and security/safety and also to identify challenges in ensuring security/safety in tourism/of tourists, when crisis occurs at the destination. The article’s originality is supported by an extensive research – focused interviews of authorities of Slovenian tourism management and Ministry of Foreign Affairs Republic of Slovenia.

UDC: 351.78:338.48

Keywords: tourism, security, safety, sources of risk, sources of threats, crisis, crisis management