Tourist numbers to Libya have always been low compared to its more popular neighbours. In 2004, Libya attracted 150,000 visitors whilst nearby Egypt and Tunisia welcomed 8.2 million and 6.3 million visitors respectively. Whilst Libya could probably do more to market itself, there are perceptions of risk that have always beleaguered Libya as a tourist destination. These predominantly arise from media portrayal and political pressure, and to a lesser degree, self-imposed tourism restrictions.
Libya : A Brief History
Libya has experienced a long and rich history of varied influence. From 700 BC through to AD 211, the region was shaped by Phoenician, Greek, and Roman occupation. Today, the world heritage sites of Leptis Magna and Sabratha contain the finest examples of Roman architecture in North Africa.
Between AD 643 and 1835, Islamic and Ottoman influences prevailed. From 1911, thirty years of war followed between the Ottoman Turks and the Italians, until 1943 when the British took control. Libya became independent in 1951, oil was discovered in 1959, and Colonel Qaddafi seized power in 1969.
Libya’s subsequent involvement in various terrorist activities during the late 1980s did nothing to improve the country's standing in world opinion. However in 2003, with various concessions made by Libya, United Nations sanctions were lifted and Libya has been on the up and up ever since.
Libya’s civil unrest led to last week’s UN resolution of a no-fly zone. How long after this conflict will perceptions of risk persevere, and are they justified?
The Influence of Media on Perceptions of Risk
Information sharing across all forms of media provides the most far-reaching influence on perception of risk. Internet sources, television coverage, book and magazine articles: these are the sources of information that we turn to find the latest information on travel and tourism topics.
Internet headlines abound declaring Malta’s dip in tourist numbers during a period when it’s usually growing, Turkey’s slump that ends its two-year growth period, and Israel’s decline in tourist numbers; all as a result of their proximity to Libya. Television coverage shows air strikes in Benghazi, Libya’s second largest city.
It all appears to spell bad news for Libya on the tourism front, but if we also believe the single most important journalistic principle that bad news sells, how do we keep information from the media from abnormally skewing our perception of risk, especially if we know conflict to be restricted to only one area in a country?
The Perception of Risk as a Result of Political Pressures
Perception of risk can also be implied by more subtle political means. Governments and other political organisations have the power to project a positive image or sanction countries that they wish others to perceive as unfriendly.
They do this by issuing travel and tourism alerts advising against non-essential travel. This is usually followed by travel insurance companies refusing to cover travel to those countries. The UN issues sanctions and resolutions. And in regards to Libya specifically, perhaps the thing that we take most personally, are petrol price increases.
One doesn’t go looking for conspiracy theories and one certainly doesn’t belittle the efforts of governments to keep their citizens safe. However, in their efforts to make other countries see ‘sense’, are they also wielding their political power by siphoning off a country’s access to tourism? This is no small thing considering that tourism is second only to oil as the world’s leading export commodity.
Libya’s Contribution to Perception of Risk
Not all influences on the perception of risk for visiting Libya are imposed by outside forces. Unfortunately, a history of conflict and terrorism is not one that is so easily shaken off even long after the dust has settled, and all has been forgiven.
Not enough time has passed since Libyan agents bombed Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie in Scotland in 1988. After all, it has only been within this decade that the suspects were handed over for conviction and compensation paid to the victims’ families.
There is no such thing as independent travel in Libya. All travel must be organised as part of a group, although the group can be as small as one person plus the guide. A visa is required to enter Libya. This is organized through the Libyan tour company. One could perceive these restrictions on travel as a wish to keep every foreigner safely accounted for in the event of a conflict. Would you perceive these restrictions as a reflection of a risk to your personal safety? Or would you instead feel safer that such restrictions exist?
Perceptions of Risk in Libya
The Libya Tourist Board was hoping to attract over 1.5 million tourists to Libya in 2010. Recent events may put a dampener on those ambitions but studies have shown that numbers do eventually recover after conflict. However, the rate of recovery is determined by the perception of risk as sourced by the media, politics, and self-imposed restrictions.
Sources
Lonely Planet. (2011). "History of Libya". Web. 22 March 2011.
Currie, David M, M. Skare, J. Loncar. (2004). “The Impact of War on Tourism: The Case of Croatia”. Conference on Tourism Economics. Palma de Mallorca: 2004. Web. 22 March 2011.
Ryu, Sarah. (2008). Political Instability and its effects on Tourism. Web. 22 March 2011.
United Nations World Tourism Organisation. (2009). Facts and Figures. Web. 22 March 2011.
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