“GT” Insight Bites: Geopolitics and tourism

Like it or not, geo­pol­it­ics affects travel pat­terns. How can the tour­ism industry where you are bet­ter bal­ance the polit­ic­al sens­it­iv­it­ies of loc­al and inter­na­tion­al stakeholders?

It’s a “Good Tour­ism” Insight Bites question.

Your cor­res­pond­ent put the ques­tion to the travel & tour­ism stake­hold­ers in the “GT” net­work, invit­ing responses of no more than 300 words. (You too can join the “GT” net­work. Register.)

Navigating geopolitical risks and opportunities

K Michael Haywood, publisher, ‘Destinations-in-Action’, Canada

Shifts in the glob­al order present risks to mit­ig­ate and oppor­tun­it­ies to seize. 

Des­tin­a­tion and busi­ness lead­ers must make a point of align­ing their tour­ism strategies and cap­ab­il­it­ies with cur­rent real­it­ies, set up early warn­ing sys­tems, and devel­op response plans in times of crisis.

Amid geo­pol­it­ic­al upheavals, how­ever, oppor­tun­it­ies emerge for accel­er­at­ing growth, optim­ising busi­ness oper­a­tions, and devel­op­ing new cap­ab­il­it­ies and strategies. 

In ref­er­ence to growth, des­tin­a­tions need to assess and redefine what growth looks like to them, their vis­it­ors, and host­ing organ­isa­tions. Based on shift­ing com­pet­it­ive dynam­ics, attempts should then be made to ana­lyse dif­fer­ent growth scen­ari­os that will allow for the rebal­an­cing of their port­fo­li­os by divest­ing under­per­form­ing or inap­pro­pri­ate areas or assets, attract­ing more appro­pri­ate, lower risk mar­kets, and real­loc­at­ing cap­it­al accordingly.

To boost des­tin­a­tion resi­li­ence, exist­ing enter­prises need to be encour­aged to improve the cost-effect­ive­ness of their oper­a­tions, rec­ti­fy their sup­ply chains, and reas­sess their work­force, its alloc­a­tion, as well as its tech­no­lo­gic­al func­tion­al­ity and foot­prints (includ­ing those of third-party providers). 

Being informed about the poten­tial upsides and down­sides of geo­pol­it­ics is insuf­fi­cient if no attempts are made to appre­ci­ate and address caus­a­tion. For an explan­a­tion, reflect on the insights provided by the philo­soph­er Michael San­del. Only then should lead­ers and man­agers seek to identi­fy the cap­ab­il­it­ies required to address and seek resolution. 

To this end, des­tin­a­tions would be wise to estab­lish a ded­ic­ated geo­pol­it­ic­al func­tion­al group, engage in scen­ario plan­ning, and devel­op a crisis response play­book that will help rein­state tour­ism as a more mean­ing­ful civic project.

Pro­act­ive approaches to geo­pol­it­ics are essen­tial. Util­ising insight, foresight, and over­sight will help immensely, but des­tin­a­tions and all vis­it­or-serving enter­prises must have the forti­tude to seize oppor­tun­it­ies amid volat­il­ity, com­plex­ity, and uncertainty.

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‘Geopolitics’ hides rights and justice issues

C Michael Hall, Professor, University of Canterbury, New Zealand

Geo­pol­it­ics has always affected travel and, by exten­sion, the tour­ism industry. Geo­pol­it­ics affects where we can and can­not go, and, if we can, the ease of get­ting visas. 

While rel­at­ively few indi­vidu­als decide where they travel based on the polit­ics of the des­tin­a­tion or their per­son­al polit­ics, the capa­city for polit­ic­al con­sumer­ism to affect des­tin­a­tion image should nev­er be under­es­tim­ated. As a res­ult, busi­nesses may need to con­sider geo­pol­it­ic­al issues not only from the per­spect­ive of the government(s) in the jurisdiction(s) they oper­ate but also customers.

In a sense, the term ‘geo­pol­it­ics’ hides big­ger issues. It car­ries the weight of more ‘object­ive’ con­sid­er­a­tions; the actions and interests of state and oth­er polit­ic­al act­ors. And as we con­sider spe­cif­ic geo­pol­it­ic­al scen­ari­os we encounter issues of human (and oth­er) rights that are ostens­ibly focal points for CSR and ESG activities. 

This is no small matter. 

Although rights and justice are meant to be cent­ral to the SDGs, they are fre­quently lost when they are cast as geo­pol­it­ic­al issues. Unjust wars, new ver­sions of apartheid, bullsh*t on social media, and the resur­gence of far-right nation­al­ism clearly are part of con­tem­por­ary geo­pol­it­ics, but many tour­ism com­pan­ies (and edu­ca­tion insti­tu­tions) do not treat these as rights and justice issues. 

If gov­ern­ments sanc­tion travel then fine, but if there is money to be made then the tour­ism industry marches on; unless affected by mil­it­ary or polit­ic­al actions. Tour­ism responds only to gov­ern­ment decisions that affect the capa­city to trade and travel, and to interest group or con­sumer cam­paigns. Oth­er­wise, it is busi­ness as usual. 

For many, that is how busi­ness should be: value-free and polit­ic­ally blind. In that case any CSR and ESG stance is hol­low. Unfor­tu­nately, tourism’s atten­tion to the right to travel has not flowed into genu­ine con­cern for oth­er rights.

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‘Adopt a nuanced, proactive approach’ to balance sensitivities

ChatGPT

Geo­pol­it­ics undeni­ably influ­ences travel pat­terns, shap­ing where people go, how they get there, and the exper­i­ences they seek. Shifts in inter­na­tion­al rela­tions, trade agree­ments, or region­al ten­sions can drive or deter tourism. 

To bet­ter bal­ance polit­ic­al sens­it­iv­it­ies, tour­ism can adopt a nuanced, pro­act­ive approach that pri­or­it­ises inclus­iv­ity and adaptability.

Diver­si­fied mar­ket­ing: Tar­get­ing a broad range of inter­na­tion­al mar­kets reduces reli­ance on a single geo­pol­it­ic­al region. By appeal­ing to trav­el­lers from var­ied ori­gins, des­tin­a­tions can mit­ig­ate risks asso­ci­ated with sud­den geo­pol­it­ic­al disruptions.

Cul­tur­al sens­it­iv­ity: High­light­ing shared val­ues and cul­tur­al exchanges can foster good­will among diverse stake­hold­ers. Ini­ti­at­ives pro­mot­ing loc­al tra­di­tions while accom­mod­at­ing glob­al sens­ib­il­it­ies help main­tain har­mony between inter­na­tion­al vis­it­ors and loc­al communities.

Stra­tegic part­ner­ships: Col­lab­or­at­ing with both gov­ern­ment­al and private entit­ies strengthens resi­li­ence. For instance, work­ing closely with for­eign embassies, air­lines, and inter­na­tion­al travel agen­cies ensures timely responses to geo­pol­it­ic­al shifts.

Neut­ral brand­ing: Adopt­ing polit­ic­ally neut­ral brand­ing can pre­vent ali­en­a­tion of cer­tain trav­el­ler seg­ments. Mes­saging should focus on uni­ver­sal val­ues like sus­tain­ab­il­ity, adven­ture, or cul­tur­al enrich­ment, avoid­ing con­ten­tious polit­ic­al narratives.

Crisis man­age­ment: Pre­par­ing con­tin­gency plans for geo­pol­it­ic­al crises — such as sud­den bor­der clos­ures or safety con­cerns — helps main­tain trav­el­ler con­fid­ence. Clear com­mu­nic­a­tion with stake­hold­ers ensures trust even dur­ing uncertainties.

Sus­tain­able tour­ism: Emphas­ising sus­tain­ab­il­ity enhances long-term appeal. By integ­rat­ing envir­on­ment­al, social, and eco­nom­ic respons­ib­il­ity, des­tin­a­tions reduce depend­ency on fluc­tu­at­ing polit­ic­al climates.

In essence, the tour­ism industry must pri­or­it­ise dip­lomacy, diver­si­fic­a­tion, and resi­li­ence to nav­ig­ate the intric­ate inter­play of geo­pol­it­ics and travel. By address­ing the con­cerns of loc­al and inter­na­tion­al stake­hold­ers alike, it can foster a thriv­ing, adapt­able sector.

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Balancing sensitivities ‘requires a nuanced approach’

Copilot

The tour­ism industry is a cru­cial eco­nom­ic pil­lar, often influ­enced by geo­pol­it­ic­al events. Bal­an­cing the polit­ic­al sens­it­iv­it­ies of loc­al and inter­na­tion­al stake­hold­ers requires a nuanced approach.

Firstly, engage in pro­act­ive dip­lomacy. Tour­ism author­it­ies should col­lab­or­ate with for­eign embassies and con­su­lates to foster pos­it­ive rela­tion­ships and address any poten­tial polit­ic­al ten­sions directly.

Secondly, pro­mote cul­tur­al sens­it­iv­ity and aware­ness. Tour­ism oper­at­ors should edu­cate vis­it­ors on loc­al cus­toms, tra­di­tions, and the soci­opol­it­ic­al land­scape. This enriches the travel exper­i­ence and fosters mutu­al respect.

Thirdly, diver­si­fy tour­ism offer­ings. Expand­ing bey­ond tra­di­tion­al hot­spots to less­er-known regions can mit­ig­ate the impact of geo­pol­it­ic­al dis­turb­ances and pro­mote sus­tain­able tour­ism. This approach also alle­vi­ates pres­sure on over-vis­ited locations.

Fur­ther­more, lever­age digit­al plat­forms for crisis man­age­ment. Social media and oth­er digit­al tools can be used to dis­sem­in­ate accur­ate inform­a­tion quickly, address­ing any mis­in­form­a­tion that might arise from geo­pol­it­ic­al events. This helps main­tain trav­el­er con­fid­ence and man­age inter­na­tion­al per­cep­tions effectively.

Lastly, engage with loc­al com­munit­ies. Ensur­ing that tour­ism bene­fits reach loc­al com­munit­ies can build stronger, more resi­li­ent ties between the industry and res­id­ents. Grass­roots sup­port is cru­cial in nav­ig­at­ing geo­pol­it­ic­al chal­lenges, as loc­als who feel val­ued are more likely to sup­port and pro­tect the tour­ism sector.

By integ­rat­ing these strategies, the tour­ism industry can bet­ter nav­ig­ate the com­plex­it­ies of geo­pol­it­ics, ensur­ing a bal­anced, respect­ful, and pros­per­ous rela­tion­ship with loc­al and inter­na­tion­al stakeholders.

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‘Strike a delicate balance’ to navigate complexity

Gemini

The tour­ism industry is intric­ately linked to geo­pol­it­ic­al events. Inter­na­tion­al ten­sions, polit­ic­al instabil­ity, and travel advisor­ies can sig­ni­fic­antly impact vis­it­or num­bers and rev­en­ue. To nav­ig­ate this com­plex land­scape, the industry must strike a del­ic­ate bal­ance between respect­ing loc­al sens­it­iv­it­ies and attract­ing inter­na­tion­al tourists.

One strategy is to diver­si­fy mar­kets. While tra­di­tion­al mar­kets remain import­ant, focus­ing on emer­ging mar­kets can help mit­ig­ate the impact of fluc­tu­ations in estab­lished mar­kets. Addi­tion­ally, pro­mot­ing domest­ic tour­ism can provide a stable rev­en­ue stream, espe­cially dur­ing times of inter­na­tion­al uncertainty.

Anoth­er approach is to high­light unique cul­tur­al her­it­age and nat­ur­al attrac­tions. By pos­i­tion­ing itself as a cul­tur­ally sens­it­ive and envir­on­ment­ally respons­ible des­tin­a­tion, the industry can attract tour­ists who seek authen­t­ic exper­i­ences and sus­tain­able travel options. This can help build a loy­al cus­tom­er base that is less sus­cept­ible to geo­pol­it­ic­al shifts.

Enga­ging with loc­al com­munit­ies is also cru­cial. By involving loc­al com­munit­ies in tour­ism devel­op­ment and ensur­ing that their cul­tur­al her­it­age is respec­ted and cel­eb­rated, the industry can foster pos­it­ive rela­tion­ships and avoid poten­tial con­flicts. Trans­par­ent com­mu­nic­a­tion with loc­al stake­hold­ers about the poten­tial impacts of tour­ism can also help build trust and support.

Finally, the industry must be agile and adapt­able. By mon­it­or­ing glob­al events and adjust­ing mar­ket­ing strategies accord­ingly, tour­ism busi­nesses can mit­ig­ate the neg­at­ive impacts of geo­pol­it­ic­al ten­sions. This may involve rebrand­ing cam­paigns, offer­ing altern­at­ive itin­er­ar­ies, or part­ner­ing with oth­er des­tin­a­tions to cre­ate joint packages.

In con­clu­sion, the tour­ism industry must be pro­act­ive in address­ing the chal­lenges posed by geo­pol­it­ics. By diver­si­fy­ing mar­kets, high­light­ing unique cul­tur­al offer­ings, enga­ging with loc­al com­munit­ies, and adapt­ing to chan­ging cir­cum­stances, the industry can thrive even in the face of polit­ic­al uncertainty.

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Balancing sensitivities ‘requires strategic approaches’

Grok

Geo­pol­it­ics undeni­ably shapes travel pat­terns, influ­en­cing where tour­ists choose to vis­it and how des­tin­a­tions man­age their tour­ism indus­tries. Bal­an­cing polit­ic­al sens­it­iv­it­ies requires stra­tegic approaches.

Firstly, under­stand­ing and com­mu­nic­a­tion are key. Tour­ism boards and busi­nesses must stay informed about geo­pol­it­ic­al shifts, such as inter­na­tion­al dis­putes or changes in visa policies, and com­mu­nic­ate these to stake­hold­ers. This involves not only inform­ing tour­ists about safety and entry require­ments but also enga­ging with loc­al com­munit­ies to ensure their cul­tur­al and polit­ic­al val­ues are respec­ted in tour­ism prac­tices. This can help in mit­ig­at­ing ten­sions that might arise from cul­tur­al mis­un­der­stand­ings or polit­ic­al sensitivities.

Diver­si­fic­a­tion of tour­ist mar­kets can also serve as a buf­fer against geo­pol­it­ic­al risks. By not rely­ing solely on tour­ists from polit­ic­ally sens­it­ive regions, the industry can main­tain sta­bil­ity even if rela­tions with one coun­try sour. Encour­aging tour­ism from a vari­ety of coun­tries, includ­ing those with stable polit­ic­al rela­tions, can be beneficial.

Moreover, crisis man­age­ment should be pro­act­ive. Estab­lish­ing crisis response teams that include rep­res­ent­at­ives from vari­ous sec­tors — gov­ern­ment, tour­ism industry, and loc­al com­munit­ies — can help in quickly address­ing geo­pol­it­ic­al issues as they arise. This includes hav­ing plans for emer­gency com­mu­nic­a­tion, evac­u­ation, or alter­ing mar­ket­ing strategies to reflect changes in inter­na­tion­al per­cep­tions or realities.

Finally, pro­mot­ing tour­ism that fosters peace and under­stand­ing like cul­tur­al exchanges or edu­ca­tion­al trips can serve as soft power, poten­tially eas­ing geo­pol­it­ic­al ten­sions by build­ing pos­it­ive inter­na­tion­al rela­tions. Such ini­ti­at­ives can align with nation­al interests while pro­mot­ing tourism.

By adopt­ing these strategies, the tour­ism industry can nav­ig­ate the com­plex geo­pol­it­ic­al land­scape, ensur­ing both growth and har­mony among diverse stakeholders.

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Featured image (top of post)

Geo­pol­it­ics and tour­ism. Image by Star­Flames (CC0) via Pixabay. “GT” cropped it and added the words “Geo­pol­it­ics & tourism”.

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Previous “GT” Insight Bites

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