Researching the relationship between tourism, crime and security: the tourism industry and the disenfranchised citizens

The relationship between tourism, safety and security has been addressed by both tourism researchers and criminologists (Botterill and Jones 2010; Pizam and Mansfeld 1996). At least four themes have been identified that are of relevance to the tourism industry. Firstly, there is a strong relationship between tourist resorts and crime, with resorts acting as crime hotspots, with higher than average crime rates and particularly high rates at the peak of the tourism season (de Albuquerque and McElroy 1999; Alleyne and Boxill 2003; Pelfrey 1998; Prideaux 1996). Correspondingly, tourist centres may be targeted by terrorists (Mawby 2010). Secondly, tourists generally experience more crime than local people and more crime than when not on holiday (Boakye 2010; Chesney-Lind and Lind 1986; Mawby, Brunt and Hambly 1999; Michalko 2004; Stangeland 1998). Thirdly, it is evident that tourists often contribute to the crime problem, particularly through their involvement in public disorder associated with alcohol and drugs (Andrews 2002; Cohen 2002; Homel et al. 1997; Mawby 2012). Fourthly, and partly as a result of this, local residents often react with hostility towards (particularly mass) tourism, with those not benefiting from the tourist industry viewing it as impacting upon their quality of life (Davis et al. 1988; King et al. 1993; Ross 1992; Teye et al. 2002), with public protest in tourist centres as far removed as Barcelona (Burgen 2019; Kassam 2014) and Newquay (Mawby 2012).