“WE DO NOT HAVE A CRYSTAL BALL”: THE EFFECT OF FEAR OF TERROR ON TRAVEL BEHAVIOUR

Year 2021, Volume: 8 Issue: 2, 273 - 283, 29.12.2021

Tuba Gün Çınğı , Burcu Kaya Sayarı , Medet Yolal

Abstract

Travelling is one of the daily practices which is influenced by the fear of terror. As grasping fear as a feeling which is rooted in the social realm, this study explores factors that shape travel fear of international tourists in the light of terrorism. The study applied content analysis using 719 original reviews on Istanbul posted on TripAdvisor since Istanbul is a popular destination which experienced recurrent terror acts between 2016-2017. The findings show that: (1) globalization, stereotypes, media and politics are main factors that shape international tourists’ travel fear; (2) even though these structural aspects of society are same for everyone, there are differences in their interpretations and tourists’ travel decisions. Some of the tourists develop behaviors to cancel or postpone the trip to a later date due to fear of terrorism, but it has also been found that there are tourists who choose to travel by taking the risk or resisting the atmosphere of fear created by terrorism. The study is important for excessing beyond the discourse of fear and yielding holistic insights into its social, cultural and political background.

Keywords

Fear, Terrorism, Risk Perception, Travel

“We Do Not Have a Crystal Ball”: The Effect of Fear of Terror on Travel Behaviour

Abstract

Seyahat davranışı, terör korkusunun etki ettiği gündelik pratiklerden biridir. Bu araştırmada korku, toplumsal gerçeklikte kök salan ve toplumsal yaşam üzerinde etkili bir duygu olarak ele alınmaktadır. Bu çerçevede araştırma, terörizm ışığında uluslararası turistlerin seyahat korkusunu şekillendiren faktörleri ortaya çıkarmayı amaçlamaktadır. Çalışmada 2016- 2017 yılları arasında birden fazla terör saldırısının gerçekleştiği İstanbul, uluslararası seyahatlerde popüler bir destinasyon olduğu için seçilmiştir. Bu bağlamda, TripAdvisor’da İstanbul ile ilgili 719 entry içerik analizi tekniği ile analiz edilmiştir. Elde edilen bulgular göstermektedir ki; (1) küreselleşme, kalıp yargılar, medya ve politika, uluslararası turistlerin seyahat korkusunu şekillendiren ana faktörlerdir. (2) Yapısal benzerlikler bulunmakla birlikte turistlerin yorumlarında ve seyahat kararlarında farklılıklar söz konusudur. Turistlerin bir kısmı, terör korkusu ile seyahatlarini iptal etme veya daha ileri bir tarihe erteleme yönünde davranış sergileyeceklerini belirtmişlerdir. Ancak riski göze alarak ve terörizm ile yaratılan korku atmosferine karşı direnerek seyahat eden veya bu yönde karar beyan eden turistlerin olduğu da tespit edilmiştir. Bu araştırma, seyahat davranışına etki eden korku söyleminin arkasında yer alan sosyal, kültürel ve politik unsurlara ve bireyin davranışı üzerinde etkili olan birtakım bireysel faktörlere ilişkin bütüncül bir bakış açısı sağlamak açısından önemlidir.

Keywords

Korku, Terörizm, Risk Algısı, Seyahat

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