Tourism and Crime: A Research Agenda

Abstract

This paper reports a review of tourism and crime studies undertaken predominantly by tourism researchers over the last 25 years. The studies are grouped into six loosely-defined areas: tourist areas as areas of high crime; tourists as victims; tourists as offenders; tourism causing higher levels of deviant or illegal activity; terrorism and tourism; and policy responses to tourism and crime. The paper concludes that, on balance, tourism does contribute to an increase in crime, and can provide certain conditions for criminals where the gains from crimes against tourists are high and the risks are low. Adverse publicity from the reporting of crime against tourists is shown to have drastic effects on subsequent tourist numbers. Recommendations for further research are listed.