Effect of the Swine flu pandemic on the tourist industry in the US and Europe - Research Paper Example

Running Head: Tourism A Mini-Research Proposal on the Effect of the Swine Flu Epidemic on the Tourism Industry of the United s and Europe Course Title Name of Professor Date of Submission Title: The Effect of Swine Flu Pandemic on the Tourism Industry of the United States and Europe Problem Statement This study tries to evaluate the impact of the swine flu pandemic on the tourism industry of the United States and Europe. The swine flu brought about one of the most disastrous consequences all over the world, the biggest impact being felt immediately by the industry of tourism.

When swine flu initially surfaced, it was an unidentified and hence volatile disease (Yancey, 2009), and its spate generated massive distress to the tourism industry in several regions and countries. Theoretical Framework The theoretical perspective used in this study is the vulnerability of the marketability of the tourism industry to abrupt alterations in market views. Natural or human-made acts can change the marketability, appeal, and popularity of the most well-known tourism destinations drastically (Beirman, 2003).

Occurrences, such as pandemics, which harm the potential of a destination, may lead to significant economic disorder. For individuals, this event may lead to poverty and job loss (Page, 2011). Nevertheless, a small number of travelers/tourists will take into account these repercussions in their destination preferences. Their major concern is to visit a tourism destination gratifying their personal aspirations with the least obstacles or risks to their health and security. Research Questions The primary research question of this study is: what is the effect of the swine flu pandemic on the tourism industry of the United States and Europe?

In answering this research question, the number of visitor arrivals in tourisms destinations in the U.S. and Europe before, during, and after the swine flu pandemic will be considered. According to Olson and Laurent (2009), after the catastrophic outbreak of swine flu, the tourist-oriented groups in the United States and Europe were placed into the largely complicated position of addressing the problems of visitation and profits. Methodology or Research Design The research methodology used in this study is exploratory.

It reviews the findings of earlier researchers, statements of tourism practitioners, and other tourism-related organizations. However, the focus of this study is too broad and quite limited in terms of methodology. This study’s contribution to the field of study is the introduction of the potential employment of methods such as multiple time series to more accurately discern the effect of the swine flu pandemic on the marketability, appeal, and popularity of tourism destinations in the United States and Europe.

Results and Findings The tourism industry of the United States and Europe has been seriously affected by the swine flu pandemic. The government of the United States persuaded Americans to postpone travel to swine flu-affected areas like Mexico, initiate the placing of border check (Yancey, 2009). Even the health officers of the European Union warned travelers about the dangers of going to destinations affected by swine flu (Yancey, 2009). The vice president of Smith Travel Research, Jan Freitag, stated, “You have a global recession; business travel has been severely curtailed; leisure travel is curtailed because people are not sure they’re going to have jobs; you have a lot of new hotel supply in the pipeline; and oops, now we have the European Union suggesting that travel to the United States is a mistake” (Yancey, 2009, para 3).

The severe impact of the swine flu pandemic on the tourism industry of Europe is largely discerned in the decline of revenues for London’s British Airways and Air-France-KLM (Olson & Laurent, 2009). Conclusions and Recommendations It is probable that the swine flu epidemic will have an enduring effect on the image of the United States and Europe. Hence, it will necessitate a substantial attempt to restore the confidence of tourists and to attract travelers to the regions’ tourism destinations.

The information should be massively and constantly disseminated that the swine flu is in hand and travel is now out of harm's way. The effects of misinterpreting the condition may hamper the progress of the tourism industry, for views of well-being and danger toward a tourism destination are prone to affect travel preferences. Therefore, the government should initiate additional measures to perform more promotional campaigns to improve the aspiration of travelers to visit the United States and Europe.

References Beirman, D. (2003). Restoring Tourism Destinations in Crisis: A Strategic Marketing Approach. Crows Nest, N.S.W.: Allen & Unwin. Gorard, S. & Taylor, C. (2004). Combining Methods in Educational and Social Research. Maidenhead, England: Open University Press. Ioannides, D. & Timothy, D. (2009. Tourism in the USA: A Spatial and Social Synthesis. New York: Routledge. Olson, P. & Laurent, L. (2009). “Europe Subdued by Swine Flu,” Forbes.com. Page, S. (2011). Tourism Management: An Introduction.

Burlington, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann. Smith, M., MacLeod, N. & Robertson, M. (2010). Key Concepts in Tourist Studies. London: Sage Publications Ltd. Yancey, K.B. (2009). “Swine flu fears may hammer travel industry,” USA Today.