International tourists' risk perception towards terrorism and political instability. The case of Tunisia

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to find out changes in international tourists’ risk perception towards Tunisia during the period from 2010 to 2015. Content analysis was employed to analyze posts of (potential) tourists in TripAdvisor forum. The findings showed tourists mostly heightened awareness during the time of the Arab Spring Revolution & the three terrorist attacks in 2015, and only during the first month after an incident. Terrorism-related risk received higher attention than political risk did. Risk perception of tourists towards terrorism and political instability in term of travelling to Tunisia was also revealed. The study emphasized the role of social media in influencing and reflecting tourists’ risk perception. The influence of government issued travel advisories on tourist’s risk perception and decision to visit was marked. Practical implication of the study is the suggestions for the Tunisian government and DMOs to mitigate negative impact on tourism industry.