Resumen de Tourism Safety, and Health Information provided on official Tourism Website of North, Central and South American Countries
Matthew Lee Smith, Ericka Amorim, Dara Silverman, Jorge Umbelino
With the globalization of tourism, the touristic offer and associated promotion is essential to attract international travelers and sustain local economies. While the Americas (i.e., North, Central, and South) play host to countless inexpensive yet exotic destinations with rich cultures and history, efforts are needed to attract a considerable tourism market share.
Despite a variety of channels in which to advertise the destinations, attractions, and amenities available in a country, internet-based traveler recruitment is among the most effective and serves as an educational resource for potential travelers. The primary purpose of this study was to assess the content provided on national tourism websites of 33 American countries (North=3, Central=17, South=13) as related to tourism/destinations, safety/security, contact information, and health/healthcare. A secondary purpose was to identify opportunities for countries to improve their tourism websites for potential travelers to enhance their visiting experience. A content analysis was conducted for official tourism websites utilizing a content rubric containing 36 topics. Results indicate that websites did not provide adequate information. Only 2 country websites displayed 50% of rubric topics (USA and Brazil). Most websites highlighted promotional content about the destinations.
Fewer displayed information about safety/security, and even fewer displayed information about health/healthcare. Findings reveal that internet-based resources are being underutilized to promote destinations and educate international travelers, which highlights opportunities for improved efforts to meet the specific needs and behaviors of tourists visiting the Americas.
