ON THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF TOURISM SECURITY:A Case Study In Fujian Prowince

As a new domain, tourism security research was still in its infancy. This article tried to explore the basic theory and practice of tourism security from the point of tourists?view, for the purpose of understanding the nature of tourism security, promoting the research of tourism and the construction of tourism security disciplinary, and seeking the scientific basis for management. Based on a literature review and an analysis on the situation of tourism security, the significance, theoretical logic etc. were discussed. The attempt of forming the theoretical framework of tourism security research was presented here. Taking Fujian province as an example, this article explored tourism security from the following five aspects:the occurring forms, the tourists?cognition of security, the security experience of tourists, situation of management and the security image of destination. A 600-questionair survey of tourists and a 300-questionair survey of tourism organizations in the main tourist destinations of Fujian province respectively achieved 60.2% and 39.0% response rate. An on-the-spot investigation and a face-to-face interview were both carried out as well. The results were as following: (1) Tourism security research widened the domain of tourism research with both theoretical and practical significance. (2) The demand of tourism security was a high-level demand of security, thus became the inevitable outcome of tourism activity and the nature of tourism. (3) There were 5 occurring forms of tourism security, i.e. crime, traffic accident, conflagration (fire) & explosion, disease (or poisoning) and other unexpected accidents. (4) Amassing, wide-rang and tremendous-impact were the 3 characteristics of the security experiences in tourism, while amassed in peak period and at dawn & night were the two regulars. (5) Security cognition was closely related with the security experience of tourists and differed from individuals, and was a reflection of the tourist security demand, which had become popular. (6) Inadequate cognition and misunderstanding of security were reasons that tourism security occurred. (7) The management situation of tourism security should be improved. (8) The security image of tourist destinations was not so sound as it should be and much more can be done to improve. (9) Tourism security was a complicated system, taking tourists, residents, tourism employees, tourist destinations and tourism facilities as its elements. (10) On the aspect of education and research, the construction of disciplinary of tourism security should be necessary. Moreover, some suggestions and prescriptions were put forward.