Why Risk Why Now? Conceptual Problems Around the Risk Perception in Tourism Industry

Abstract

Even though the risk perception theory has been coined by Cognitive Psychology and widely used during more than 40 years, only after September 11 th 2001 the term risk was borrowed to tourism fields. The psychological and symbolic impacts that generated the WTC attacks drew the attention of many scholars concerned by the destination image. However, based on assumptions that need to be revisited, this body of knowledge rests on shaky foundations simply because its working definition of risk seems not to be correct. In addition, risk perception theory nourishes a discourse enrooted in a radicalized construction of otherness whose characteristics scare us. To some extent, risk perception theory in tourism has much to say but in fact some previous points should be previously discussed. Keywords: Tourism. Risk. Modernity. September 11 th . Terrorism.Resumo: Embora a teoria da percepção do risco tenha sido alcunhada pela Psicologia Cognitiva e utilizada durante mais de 40 anos, o termo passou a ser utilizado pelos pesquisadores de turismo e hotelaria somente após o atentado de 11 de Setembro de 2001. O atentado contra as Torres Gêmeas não somente gerou grande impacto psicológico, mas também atraiu a atenção de vários especialistas preocupados com a questão da imagem das destinações turísticas. A referida teoria, no entanto, precisa ser discutida desde que a própria definição de risco tem sido mal interpretada. A teoria da percepção do risco também parece alimentar um discurso etnocêntrico com Resumen: Aún cuando la teoría de la percepción del riesgo fue acuñada por la Psicología Cognitiva y utilizada por más de 40 años, solo después del atentado del 11 de Septiembre de el término pasó a ser usado por los investigadores en turismo y hotelería. El ataque a las Torres Gemelas no solo generó un gran impacto psicológico sino que atrajo la atención de varios especialistas todos ellos preocupados por cuestiones que hacen a la imagen de los destinos turísticos. Sin embargo, dicha teoría merece ser discutida al encontrarse cuestiones en la definición de riesgo los cuales se han malinterpretado. Asimismo, la teoría de la percepción del riesgo parece alimentar un discurso etnocéntrico cuyo objetivo es presentar a un otro-radicalizado cuyas características nos asustan. En un sentido, este nuevo campo de investigación tiene mucho para decir pero no sin primero someterlo bajo el lente de la crítica. Palabras clave: Turismo. Riesgo. Modernidad. 11 Septiembre. Terrorismo.Modernity's reflexivity refers to the susceptibility of most aspects of social activity, and material relation with nature, to chronic revision in the light of a new information or knowledge. Such an information or knowledge is not incidental to modern institutions, but constitutive of them … because many possibilities of reflection about reflexivity exist in modern social conditions" (GIDDENS, 1991, p.20).

The discourse of risk in horror movies post 9/11: hospitality and hostility in perspective

“…As such, the mass media in particular elaborates and distributes an image of the world as unsecure place. As such, the media becomes the conceptual patrimony of experts who not only highlight risk but also creates new risks in order to stay relevant in a saturated media field (Korstanje, 2010b(Korstanje, , 2011. A such, the media plays a role, as noted earlier, not only in configuring and communicating risk to potential tourists (Donilcar, 2005b), but also can amplify this risk depending on the political and ethnocentric undercurrents views of those experts (Lofstedt, 2010).…”

Exploring the Fear of Travel: Study Revealing Into Tourists’ Minds

“…Other studies have criticized the meaning of risk, which corresponds with a cognitive perceptual unit tied to emotions. Qualitative methods could help explain the psychology of risk (Larsen, Bruna, & Øgaardb, 2009;Korstanje, 2011a;2011b). In particular, interesting findings may come from the application of the attachment theory.…”

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