The impact of terrorism on tourism consumption behavior of Romanians Puiu Nistoreanu a and Ana-Maria Nica b a Bucharest University of Economic Studies Pta Romană 6, Bucharest, Romania Tel: +40 319 19 00, int 187, E-mail: puiu.nistoreanu@com.ase.ro b Bucharest University of Economic Studies Pta Romană 6, Bucharest, Romania Tel: +40 319 19 00, int 187, E-mail: ana.nica@com.ase.ro Abstract Specific events of the modern world such as globalization, the decisive role of technology, fundamental changes at economic, social and cultural levels generate both positive and negative phenomena. In the second category fall terrorism and its manifestations, which have been increasingly present in the current period. The perception of the risk of terrorist acts can lead to anxiety and reluctance towards visiting a particular destination or using a particular means of transport. External factors such as media reports on terrorist incidents, public opinion, online social tools have a determinant influence on the perception of tourists on affected destinations, but also on their overall image. This research aims to determine how terrorist attacks or the risk of their occurrence influence tourist consumption, the perception of a destination and future travel intentions of Romanian tourists. Keywords: Tourism, terrorism, consumer behavior Introduction The purpose of this study is to understand the impact of terrorist attacks on the Romanian tourists’ decisions regarding a trip in controversial areas. The study aims to discover the perception of Romanian tourists on safety, terrorism issues and their way of dealing with extreme situations. The paper focuses on the impact of terrorist attacks on attitudinal and behavioral characteristics. Tourism is a major industry worldwide. (Sonmez and Graefe, 1998) However, it remains a large industry that functions within an evolving political and economic environment internationally. While most who consider the future of the tourism industry tend to focus upon the impact of demographic and technological change and development upon the industry, here we consider first and foremost the global political changes and trends that we expect will have a massive impact upon tourism. (Webster and Ivanov, 2015) The definition of terrorism is inherently controversial (Baker, 2014), as who one person defines as a terrorist another defines as a freedom fighter. Terrorism’s most used definition may be that offered by the US Department of State, which defined terrorism as “premeditated, politicall y motivated violence perpetrated against non-combatant targets by sub-national groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience”. For the purpose of this paper however terrorism will be defined “as acts or threats of violence perpetrated with the main aim of influencing others by invoking fear”. (Crawford, 2012) The impact of terrorism on the travel and tourism industry can be enormous. It can lead to unemployment, homelessness, deflation, and many other social and economic ills. The contribution of tourism (MacCannel, 2002)for many countries is so great that any downturn in the industry is a cause of major concern for many governments. The repercussions are left in many other industries associated with tourism like airlines, hotels, restaurants and shops that cater to the tourists and allied services. Terrorism is an enigmatic and compelling phenomenon, and its relationship with tourism is complex and multifaceted. Since September 11, 2001, and the numerous further terrorist attacks, epidemics and natural disasters, risks and crises and their impacts gain considerably more importance in tourism research. Terrorist attacks represent a specific form of tourism crises, because usually the destinations are hit unprepared. (David, 2014) Literature review The rapid growth of the world (Enders and Sandler, 2006) wide tourism industry has been attributed to a number of factors, among which are strong economic growth, increase in disposable income and leisure time, easing of travel restrictions, successful tourist promotion, and recognition by governments. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council (2015), travel & tourism forecasts over the next ten years look extremely favorable, with predicted growth rates of over 4% annually that continue to be higher than growth rates in other sectors. At the national level, governments can also do much to implement tighter security, more open visa regimes and to employ intelligent rather than punitive taxation policies. If the right steps are taken, travel & tourism can be a true force for good. (Floyd et al, 2003)