Crime and tourism: organizational opportunities and social marketing in LA Gang Tours

Abstract

Existing investigation on tourism and crime has indicated a negative relation between these two concepts where crime appears as an influential factor in limiting tourist flows. Albeit tourists have repeatedly reported the importance of safety in their travels, this paper presents a paradoxically positive relation between tourism and present crime, where gang culture is the main attraction of the visit. This case study is focused on 'LA Gang Tours', a non-profit organization and its use of social marketing in the re-interpretation of an organization threat to an opportunity in Los Angeles, the 'gang capital of the world'. For this purpose, I have applied conceptual content analysis of online data referring to this touristic attraction.

The Influence of Word of Mouth on Tourism Destination Choice: Tourist–Resident Relationship and Safety Perception among Mainland Chinese Tourists Visiting Macau

“…Aside from terrorist attacks and violence, crime is another safety issue that limits tourist flows [31]. Previous studies have indicated that visitors are more likely than local residents to be the victims of crime [32], not least because tourists are unfamiliar with the local laws, do not know how to report the crimes, and are not willing to press charges against criminals.…”