Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to explore why tourists continue to visit troubled and often violent nations, even when there is perceived risk. Tourism and terrorism reflect very different philosophies, but there are also some disturbing commonalities. Both need modern technology to be effective, both rely heavily on media management and both require the manipulation of perceptions and attitudes. Design/methodology/approach -The paper uses historical evidence to examine the rise and fall in world travel and tourism demand related to acts of terrorism. Findings -The paper observes that the Caribbean experienced a 13.5 percent decline in US visitors after the 9/11 terrorist attack in the USA and this led to the temporary loss of an estimated 365,000 jobs. Practical implications -The paper considers the fact that Jamaica suffers the equivalent of one 9/11 incident each week in terms of the percentage of the population killed by organized crime and gangs. It concludes that crime does not have the same effect as terrorism in terms of deterring tourists and that tourists demonstrate a willingness to visit countries where security risks are significantly higher than in their home country. Originality/value -The paper compares and contrasts the experience of 9/11 in New York with two bombings in Buenos Aires, and shows the remarkable extent to which even the experience of something as shocking as a terrorist attack is mediated through cultural values.

currently spending her sabbatical leave at UWI) was the discussant and recorder.The participants, from a total of eight countries, were chosen for their seniority, experience and expertise. They comprised six industry participants, representing five sub-sectors of the hospitality and tourism sector, and six academic participants representing four universities.The industry participants were:.

Recent years have seen a proliferation of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) with a mission to help redress various social and environmental problems, but the effectiveness of these organisations in carrying out their stated goals is rarely assessed or critically examined. It has become increasingly clear, however, that these organisations vary greatly in their level of competence and professionalism. Many of them are ineffective, and in some cases they may even exacerbate the problems they set out to solve. These difficulties are based upon flawed assumptions about how civil society can correct social ills, and about how institutions that are intermediate between the individual and the state can carry out effective change. To illustrate these points with an environmental example, we present the case of Jamaica's coral reefs, which have been under stress for decades. Both the causes of reef degradation and the solutions to these problems can be clearly outlined. Many well-intentioned organisations and individuals have been involved in the attempt to stem or reverse the damage, and significant funding has been channelled through these agencies. In spite of this, there has been no documented improvement in the condition of the reefs, apart from some natural regeneration that owed nothing whatever to any human activity. The problem is that the known solutions have not been implemented. This has happened for several reasons. First, government organisations have actively encouraged NGOs to undertake the responsibility of protecting sections of the coastline, but without any proper assessment of the capacity of those organisations to do so, and in some cases actively preventing them from acquiring that capacity. Second, the proliferation of NGOs (in part a response to the availability of funding) has been counter-effective, resulting in duplication of effort, competition for limited funds, and conscious or unconscious misrepresentation of results. Third, the utilisation of NGOs to solve environmental problems often results in an increase in the number of levels of management, resulting in inefficient utilisation of funds. The known solutions to the degradation in the Jamaican marine environment principally involve (a) reducing fishing pressures at a national level and (b) the reduction of pollution by local municipalities. The effective role of NGOs in bringing about these two solutions therefore differs: where national changes are necessary, government centralisation and effective enforcement are necessary, although NGOs could still play a useful auxiliary or augmenting role. With local problems like municipal pollution, NGOs may be better able to lead in catalysing and implementing change, although the government could usefully provide co-ordination and support. These differences illustrate the fallacy in the simplistic assumption that rising public concern, increased levels of funding and a growing number of people and/or organisations involved in conservation will lead to environmental improvement. Effective hierarchical organisation is still a prerequisite for bringing about effective solutions, although the mode of organisation adopted should be a function of the particular solution necessary. Finally, since many NGOs have effectively functioned as parasitical organisations that have consumed public funding without any discernible public benefit, NGOs should be subject to the same scrutiny and assessment as any private sector organisation contracted to the government and/or donor agencies, and those who fail to perform should be barred from further receipt of public funds.

Seeking economic growth and job creation to tackle the nation's extreme poverty, the Nicaraguan government awarded a concession to build an interoceanic canal and associated projects to a recently formed Hong Kong based company with no track record or related expertise. This concession was awarded without a bidding process and in advance of any feasibility, socio-economic or environmental impact assessments; construction has begun without this information. The 278 km long interoceanic canal project may result in significant environmental and social impairments. Of particular concern are damage to Lake Cocibolca, a unique freshwater tropical lake and Central America's main freshwater reservoir; damage to regional biodiversity and ecosystems; and socio-economic impacts. Concerned about the possibly irreparable damage to the environment and to native communities, conservationists and the scientific community at large are urging the Nicaraguan government to devise and reveal an action plan to address and mitigate the possible negative repercussions of this interoceanic canal and associated projects. Critical research needs for preparation of a comprehensive benefit-cost analysis for this megaproject are presented.

games were used to channel or even dramatize in a more peaceful and controlled way the violence brewing among neighbors. Thus, significantly, the hosting nation should ensure the security of the sporting delegation. To date, the "law" of hospitality guides the conduct of the hosting nation so that it manages its resources to ensure the safe celebration of the games.As a rite of passage the competition is open to a random balancing. Individual skills and athletic talent are also identified with the rest of community to which the athlete belongs. The city that would win Address correspondence to Maximiliano E. Korstanje, University of Palermo, Dorrego 169 2 Floor F., Buenos Aires, Argentina 1414. E-mail: maxikorstanje@arnet.com.ar Athleticism and Archaeology of Mega-EventsThe organization of Olympic Games or World Cup events presents a great challenge for the hosting country. From both anthropological and sociological perspectives media games not only "stage" a state of competition among nations, they emulate a "state of war" among participants. Let us not forget that the Olympic Games were originally created as a precautionary mechanism to dissuade cities from organizing a real military conflict. In particular, the The World cup transcends the interests of culture and nations worldwide. Every 4 years, delegations from the four corners of the world compete for a month. The mass tourist demand an event of this caliber generates prompts policy makers and tourism scholars to devote considerable time in planning in detail the infrastructure and service industry for the benefit of incomers. Unfortunately, in areas of the world plagued by political instability, some groups may use the media events to communicate radical messages to the state. For similar reasons many specialists have studied terrorist attack prevention in the context of event management. This present article is based on the FIFA World Cup in Brazil 2014 to illustrate that terrorism and tourism have been historically intertwined.