Fear Of Terror Killing European Tourism

Fear Of Terror Killing European Tourism

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Fear of terrorism is keeping tourists away from Europe, RT reports. Following the attacks on Paris and Brussels, people from North America and Southeast Asia are reluctant to venture to the European continent, while British tourists are likelier to choose safer destinations closer to home due to fear of turbulence in Turkey and North Africa.

Passenger numbers on the Eurostar, the high-speed rail operator linking Britain with mainland Europe, are significantly lower than expected, executives say, due to fears over terrorism.

“People coming from North America and south-east Asia, particularly Japan, are fearful of coming to Europe at all. They don’t really understand what’s going on and would rather go elsewhere altogether,” said Chief executive Nicolas Petrovic.

Numbers fell three percent to 2.2 million in March, compared to March 2015, according to Eurostar figures.

Travel agents Thomas Cook is experiencing a decline in stock prices as a result of decreased leisure travel, down to a three-year low. Bookings over the summer period are down five percent due to fears of terrorism. The explosion aboard EgyptAir flight MS804 is only likely to fuel these fears.

Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, for instance, indicate that the numbers of Australian visitors to otherwise popular European destinations have drastically declined, anywhere from 12 to 35 percent, for the first quarter of 2016.

David Beirman, tourism lecturer at Sydney’s University of Technology, says the fear of terror and the growing refugee crisis have lessened the attraction of Europe for Australians.

“You hear of terrorism in one part of Europe and the perception seems to spread that other parts of Europe are also dangerous,” Beirman told Australian media.

“When there is a bit of uncertainty in a long-haul destination, people tend to travel closer to home to places they perceive as more welcoming and safer.”