Economic consequences on tourism

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 429.

Using a civilian aircraft as a suicide bomb had a major effect on the confidence of travellers and their travel behaviours worldwide.

For the first time in 20 years the number of tourists declined. While in 2000 tourism increased overall by 7.4 percent, in 2001 it dropped 1.3 percent. Even months after the events of September 11 air traffic inside and into the United States was limited. Providers of intercontinental flights like German "Lufthansa" or "British Airways" were sharply restrained by the downturn of travellers. Additional costs for better air security and increased insurance premiums had to be paid. While American airlines received $15 billion from the U.S. government European airlines were left to fend for themselves. The already weakened Swiss airline "Swissair" had to report insolvency.

The American tourism industry was hit very heavily. Usually 95 percent of the tourists who visit Miami arrive by air. This situation faded away after September 11. Although many hotels halved their prices, attendance nonetheless fell rapidly. For instance, the occupancy at the "Loew's", one of the Miami Beach five star hotels, dropped from 80 percent to 30. U.S. politicians advised American citizens to intercede for their country's own tourist industry by spending their holidays in other U.S. states.

This situation was recurring in tourist destinations all over the world. Some holiday hotels in Thailand "experienced a fifty percent drop in North American travellers and a thirty percent drop in European travellers" in 2001. The Thai government started an advertising campaign called "Be My Guest" to promote natural attractions so that foreign visitors would quickly come back bringing capital to the tourist orientated Thailand.

Arabian countries have been affected as well. Tourists avoided traditional Middle East attractions. Egypt was particularly hard hit. Tourism earned the government over $4 billion in 2000, and more than two million Egyptians worked in this industry.

The tourist industry was the first to be hit, but compared to other branches people quickly got back to normal and travelled like before.