Terrorism in Hospitality Industry
“Don’t turn the war on terrorism into the war on tourism”
(Zemsky, 2005)
The term terrorism has evolved in its meaning since it was first introduced in 1790s during the violent period following the French Revolution, to what it is now as the acts of violence or brutality intended to gain political, religious or ideological objective through intimidation and instillation of fear in the targeted population (Jenkins, 2003; Enders and Sandler, 2002).
In hospitality industry, concern regarding terrorism has been noticed since the mid-1980s, as cases of terrorism in tourism related sectors increased dramatically from 206 in 1972 to 3,010 in 1985 (d’Amore and Anunza, 1986). Since then, security is seen as crucial (Pizam and Mansfeld, 1996) and is increasingly intensified especially after the tragic events on September 11, 2001 (Cohen, 2002).
Terrorism in hospitality industry is continuously happening. Post the 9/11 era, there have been many significant terrorism incidents targeting hotels worldwide (Guardian, 2009). Hospitality leaders need to be able to take proactive actions to minimize occurrence possibilities. However, managing security in hospitality industry is a little more complex when compared with other industries, and therefore required a different approach. This essay aims to critically analyze the unique challenges faced by hospitality industry in managing its security. Three main issues will be discussed thoroughly and some related examples will be presented as supporting explanations. Then, it will be followed by relevant recommendations regarding actions to be taken by the leaders in the hospitality industry.
Complexity of managing security in hospitality industry is primarily due to the nature of the industry itself. Hospitality is a business that revolves around offering friendly, welcoming, and generous treatment to its customers. Hotels in particular, emphasize a “home-from-home” concept that encourages guests to use facilities as if they were
(Zemsky, 2005)
The term terrorism has evolved in its meaning since it was first introduced in 1790s during the violent period following the French Revolution, to what it is now as the acts of violence or brutality intended to gain political, religious or ideological objective through intimidation and instillation of fear in the targeted population (Jenkins, 2003; Enders and Sandler, 2002).
In hospitality industry, concern regarding terrorism has been noticed since the mid-1980s, as cases of terrorism in tourism related sectors increased dramatically from 206 in 1972 to 3,010 in 1985 (d’Amore and Anunza, 1986). Since then, security is seen as crucial (Pizam and Mansfeld, 1996) and is increasingly intensified especially after the tragic events on September 11, 2001 (Cohen, 2002).
Terrorism in hospitality industry is continuously happening. Post the 9/11 era, there have been many significant terrorism incidents targeting hotels worldwide (Guardian, 2009). Hospitality leaders need to be able to take proactive actions to minimize occurrence possibilities. However, managing security in hospitality industry is a little more complex when compared with other industries, and therefore required a different approach. This essay aims to critically analyze the unique challenges faced by hospitality industry in managing its security. Three main issues will be discussed thoroughly and some related examples will be presented as supporting explanations. Then, it will be followed by relevant recommendations regarding actions to be taken by the leaders in the hospitality industry.
Complexity of managing security in hospitality industry is primarily due to the nature of the industry itself. Hospitality is a business that revolves around offering friendly, welcoming, and generous treatment to its customers. Hotels in particular, emphasize a “home-from-home” concept that encourages guests to use facilities as if they were
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