Terrorist or Tourist?
Latest press releasesThere are some sinister similarities between the actions of groups of people who travel on flagship airlines at random between the major cities of the world.
They involve citizens of different countries, they visit internationally famous buildings, sites, hotels and shopping centres, they frequently carry bags and back packs, they travel alone or in small groups, and their anonymity enables them to blend into their surroundings.
In many cases it is only the motivation that distinguishes the terrorist from the tourist and this is what causes big headaches for the worlds national carriers.
Failure to appreciate the fact that international terrorism and international tourism share as many similarities as they do differences would be a significant oversight.
Ongoing research by Dr Bridgette Sullivan-Taylor of Warwick Business School in the UK, funded by The Leverhulme Trust, into the strategic management implications of global terrorism builds on her previous research conducted in British Airways.
She will be investigating whether global terrorism has an impact on organisational learning in international service.
Further comparison could also be made with other national carriers that operate across borders. Cruise liners have been targeted in the past and both Eurostar and the Channel Tunnel have potential added risks in their operational activities.
Previous studies have noted the reluctance of business travellers to change their plans to travel to high risk destinations even in the light of adverse risk data emerging in the media.
Non-business travellers behave in different ways, modifying their plans and destinations (Egypt suffered a 42% drop in tourism following terrorist attacks in 1992).
For an airline which provides both business and leisure travel, these circumstances lead to complex planning and decision making. This interdisciplinary study will prove useful to government agencies and business organizations that are planning strategies in recognition of the changed international environment following 9/11.
They involve citizens of different countries, they visit internationally famous buildings, sites, hotels and shopping centres, they frequently carry bags and back packs, they travel alone or in small groups, and their anonymity enables them to blend into their surroundings.
In many cases it is only the motivation that distinguishes the terrorist from the tourist and this is what causes big headaches for the worlds national carriers.
Failure to appreciate the fact that international terrorism and international tourism share as many similarities as they do differences would be a significant oversight.
Ongoing research by Dr Bridgette Sullivan-Taylor of Warwick Business School in the UK, funded by The Leverhulme Trust, into the strategic management implications of global terrorism builds on her previous research conducted in British Airways.
She will be investigating whether global terrorism has an impact on organisational learning in international service.
Further comparison could also be made with other national carriers that operate across borders. Cruise liners have been targeted in the past and both Eurostar and the Channel Tunnel have potential added risks in their operational activities.
Previous studies have noted the reluctance of business travellers to change their plans to travel to high risk destinations even in the light of adverse risk data emerging in the media.
Non-business travellers behave in different ways, modifying their plans and destinations (Egypt suffered a 42% drop in tourism following terrorist attacks in 1992).
For an airline which provides both business and leisure travel, these circumstances lead to complex planning and decision making. This interdisciplinary study will prove useful to government agencies and business organizations that are planning strategies in recognition of the changed international environment following 9/11.
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