‘Weaponization of Travel’ Study Looks at Impact of Disruptions on Travel

July 14, 2017

Places such as North Carolina, Indiana and Arizona have all felt the pressure of travel boycotts this decade. The impact of travel boycotts on changing policy has been mixed and the details of what makes for a successful or failed boycott tend to be hazy. Economic casualties have been reported, but aggregate losses from boycotts remain to be seen. Most notably, there is a clear gap in understanding how boycotts are impacting brand equity.

While there has been public polling on the policies and voter support, there is not publicly available research on how boycotts are impacting perceptions, both in the short and long term, among outside residents and tourists. To fill these gaps in understanding and inform potential advocacy platforms on the issue of boycotts for the travel industry, Destinations International engaged APCO Insight (APCO) to develop a comprehensive research study, “The Weaponization of Travel.” Broadly, the key research objectives were to:

  • Better understand the successes and failures of travel boycotts,
  • Explore the impact of boycotts on the travel & tourism industry,
  • And identify favorable alternatives.

To meet these objectives, APCO conducted a detailed audit of the weaponization of travel across five key states — North Carolina, Arizona, Indiana, Tennessee and Mississippi — and surveyed American travelers from across the nation.

Read the full report here.

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