Global Tourism and Terrorism Expert Peter Tarlow on Travel Safety in 2024

Peter Tarlow is a global expert on everything to do with tourism, surety, terrorism, health pandemics, as well as economic development. He’s consulted with countless local and international police and security services from the Olympics to the FBI, the U.S. Park Service, the Department of Justice, the Speakers Bureau of the US Department of State, the CDC, and more. 

Tarlow took some time recently to talk to TMR about what travel advisors should consider when talking about safety and travel with their clients. 

How do you define tourism security and why is it important for the travel industry? 
The simple answer is that without security there is no tourism.  Tourism is based on people choosing to spend their disposable income and no one, who has a choice, will go to a location that is not safe. The actual term used is tourism surety. That is where security, safety, health, reputation, and economic success merge.  

What are the main threats and risks that tourism destinations and businesses face in the current global context? 
Each location has its own set of threats and risks. With politics, all tourism surety is local. In each case it is the job of the tourism industry to assess its risks and then find ways to mitigate these threats:  

1. Physical, such as in earthquake or hurricane-prone zones.

2. Criminal, as in the case of assaults.

3. Political, as in the case of terrorism.

4. Health-related such as in the case of a pandemic or a disease.  

How can tourism stakeholders collaborate and coordinate to prevent, prepare for, and respond to potential crises and emergencies? 
Every tourism center should have a standing tourism surety committee working with first responders and law enforcement. The tourism industry should encourage police departments to have a tourism surety (security) unit specializing in its local tourism industry and understanding its demographics.  

What are the best practices and strategies to effectively manage travel risk and safety for tourists and tourism workers? 
The most important practice is to know your community’s strengths and weaknesses. Once a full diagnostic is made then the tourism community can prioritize its ability to mitigate dangers. Until a community has had a professional diagnostic it is too soon to copy another’s best practices.   

How do you measure and evaluate the impact of tourism security on the tourism industry and the local communities? 
This is not easy to answer as we are measuring non-events. In tourism, this is especially difficult as most tourism crimes are not reported. Traditionally success is defined as working hard to make sure that nothing illegal occurs and that a place’s reputation is such that people who visit the locale not only feel safe and secure but want to return.  

How do you foresee the implications of tourism surety in the post-pandemic world? 
Due to illegal immigration and globalization, it’s no surprise for another worldwide pandemic. Terrorism has morphed into new and deadly formats, and the tourism industry faces continual wars in Europe and the Middle East with possible new wars breaking out in the Asian Pacific and the Korean Peninsula. Also consider cybercrime, especially as physical currencies are replaced with digital currencies.   

What is the role of travel insurance and assurance in today’s complicated world situations? 
The travel insurance industry has a lot of work to do if it hopes to survive. Many younger generations do not purchase travel insurance and many question its legitimacy. Older generations struggle to get coverage. Others see the price as an additional cost to an already overpriced travel market or connect it with flight insurance and transfer their dislike of the airlines to the insurance companies.  If the travel insurance industry hopes to survive it will have to increase its levels of credibility and lower its costs.  Such necessary moves will not be easy and without pain. They must be inclusive. 

What are the challenges of rural vs urban tourism? 
Rural tourism has great distances between attractions, often is hostile to visitors, and can lack quality services and infrastructure. On the other side, rural and farming tourism provide urban dwellers with unique experiences, can offer real farm-fresh meals, and can create nostalgic experiences. Urban tourism often suffers from overpopulation, high crime levels, rude personnel, and too often, lackluster service. Urban tourism, on the other hand, offers multiple attractions usually nearby, easy public transportation, and good tourism infrastructure. 

What are your biggest lessons learned in this field? 
Many in the tourism industry seek easy solutions, while other professionals work as a family. Many love their job.  From a tourism surety perspective, it is clear that without good security, things begin to unravel very quickly, and it takes a lot longer to repair a bad reputation than it does to lose a good reputation. 

How can travel agents collaborate with police and security agencies to enhance tourist safety? 
Travel agents need to be up-to-date in a constantly evolving world. Connect with local police and national liaisons. Follow governmental travel warnings including the US, Canada, UK, and Australia.  Most nations post travel warnings and if it appears on multiple sites, take it very seriously. Sherpa is a great resource. 

What about evolving cultural and religious shifts in major tourism centers? What would you recommend when visiting these places? 
Once again, all tourism is local, so what is true of one location might not be true of another. In general, one should  

1. Learn about local customs before travel  

2. Be respectful of local religious customs and take note of potential hotspots to avoid  

3. Ask before one does  

4. Be honest and do not pretend to be something that you are not. When asking questions, do not be aggressive and only ask questions if you want to know the answer. 

Given today’s unpredictable global climate, literally and politically, Peter will be an invaluable resource for those hard-to-answer questions that come up in client interactions and within the trade. Do you have any questions you would like Peter to answer? Find more information on Peter and TourismandMore   

Randi Winter of The P2P Life is known as the Passion Driven Connector, turning dreams into priceless memories. Currently, she is co-authoring a book on the Future of Cruising, curating global celebrity chef, sommelier, and voluntourism experiences benefitting global causes, creating passion-to-purpose experiences with collaborative experts, and writing as a freelance contributor to TMR.