The Recovery Phase of Tourism Destinations Impacted by Terrorism – The Role of Strategic Marketing Plans

This chapter examines the role that strategic marketing plans play throughout the process of destination recovery post terrorist attack for the purpose of encouraging the return of tourists. It investigates the impact that strategic marketing plans have as a part of crisis management applying a mixed-method approach which utilises survey data examining future industry leaders to quantify perspectives regarding the relationship between terrorism, tourism and destination marketing. Furthermore, this chapter reviews destination marketing techniques employed by international locations to determine recovery strategies utilising marketing plans. Bali, Paris, Northern Ireland, New York, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey were selected as case studies because they have been the focus of significant research studies to date (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC): BBC News, 2019; Ferreira, Graciano, Leal, & Costa, 2019) which have primarily focused on the relationship between terrorism and tourism regarding the collapse of the tourism industry. A survey was issued to gain perspectives regarding the relationship between terrorism, tourism and destination marketing. Second, case study analysis was conducted to examine both successful and unsuccessful destination recovery strategies. Results indicate that destinations that utilised strategic marketing as a part of crisis management frameworks experienced the return of tourists and recovered. This research contributed to the development of an inclusive, universal crisis management framework encompassing strategic marketing plans as a tool for recovery.