Tourism Safety and Security Just After COVID-19 (eBook)

In the light of a new millennium, the tourism industry has faced some (major) global risks which seriously affected its functioning, leading it to the brink of collapse. What is most important, after September of 2001, is that tourism security and safety not only captivated the attention of scholars but is also situated as a leading object of study within the fields of tourism research. The scourge of terrorism associated with the ecological crisis, recent natural disasters without mentioning virus outbreaks as Ebola, SARS or even COVID-19, and political instability place the tourism industry in jeopardy. It is safe to say that the ontological security of tourists occupied a central position in tourism research. Of course, the recent COVID-19 outbreak accelerated a socio-economic crisis in the service sub-sectors that paralyzed the global trade and the tourism industry. The imposition of severe lockdowns, social distancing as well as the borders and airspace closure speak us of a new normal or a feudalized world where tourists are feared or even demonized. In the days just after COVID-19, academia should debate the new guidelines of future research not only to enhance tourism security but to put the industry back on its feet again. The present book project is a selection of high-quality chapters, which are authored by well-renowned experts in tourism safety and security; all of them were invited to bring some reflections on the future of the discipline in a post-COVID-19 context. Authors come from different disciplines, cultures and nations, so the book offers a fertile ground towards an international platform for professionals, researchers, students or policymakers interested in the future of tourism.