Tourists' and travellers' social construction of Africa and Asia as risky locations

Abstract

This paper considers the ways in which international leisure and business travellers use beliefs and ideas about regions to socially construct places as either safe or risky to visit. This research draws on in-depth interviews with international travellers and a close reading of travel advice in popular guidebooks. It was found that geographical regions were constructed in three broad ways: some places, such as Europe and North America, were perceived as safe; Africa, was seen as dangerous and to be avoided; and finally, Asia was constructed as simultaneously risk but also exotic and worth experiencing. The implications for the design of advice and information given to travellers are discussed.