For Better or Worse: Consumer Perceptions of Factors Impacting Company Crisis Outcome

Abstract

Tourism crises can be triggered by natural or human-caused disasters (Sönmez et al., 1999). Crises that have dramatically impacted travel and tourism operators include the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) virus outbreak, the 2003 Iraq War and terrorist attacks such as the 2002 Bali bombings and that of 11 September 2001 (9/11) on the World Trade Center in New York. The New York terrorist attack constituted an extreme example of the many crises that a business operation might face (Stafford et al., 2002). These crises have the potential to threaten the viability of tourism destinations, and the enterprises associated with it, at regional or world level. While recent focus has been on major events impacting the travel and tourism sector, this chapter investigates crises that originate at the organization or enterprise level and impact travel and tourism operators. In particular, it focuses upon the perspectives provided by consumers of tourism services.