For many analysts, it was expected, it was only a matter of time. And for others, it is only the beginning of situations that will cause chain reactions or accelerate developments, predetermined long ago.
In any case, the carnage in Paris constitute a powerful shock to the Western world as even the date, Friday the 13th, appears selected.
It is certain that these, unprecedented in brutality, coordinated terrorist attacks, would plunge the Western countries into a new period of introversion, fear and police state.
Regardless of the reaction modes of the major powers and the developments in Syria, the epicenter of this whole situation that we have been experiencing in recent years, the “next day” will bring increased security measures in public places, tighter controls on cross-border travel and travel to / from Europe and America as well as changes in trends and travelers’ behavior.
For Tourism and Travel, it is evident that a new period of uncertainty and faltering confidence, unknown in duration, intensity and scope, starts.
With parameters and aspects that tend to remind us of the time after September 11, 2001, the day that changed the way of our movements for ever.
Within a few months after the murderous attacks in Tunisia, the air disaster in Sinai and such a massacre in one of the most popular destinations in the world, with ordinary citizens as victims, the given facts have changed again.
This dimension of fear in places where one moves daily, overcomes the usual question of which is a safe destination and which is not.
This becomes of secondary importance when insecurity starts from the level of “whether to move or not, from the outset.”
The feeling that a passerby on the street or on the square or cinema, can be pull out a gun and start to kill indiscriminately everybody around him and then sets off the explosives with which he has braced himself, is unprecedentedly horrific for the Western world.
And it can lead to equally unprecedented repercussions on the culture and perceptions of modern Europeans.
It is rather early to be able to categorize these repercussions, into a whole, in a row, even to understand what situations and what trends we will witness unfolding in the immediate future and in the following months.
At any rate, we will see a generalized tendency to limit or avoid travel, especially to countries and destinations where there is the slightest suspicion of, even, insecurity.
Let us not forget that we are at the beginning of the winter season for many markets, with the Christmas season, by now, very close.
It is very likely that there will be upheavals in the market and several destinations will suffer from travelers rearranging their plans and preferences.
It is also certain, as we mentioned above, that we will see increased security measures at many levels stricter controls and procedures, even in places where there weren’t any, e.g. between the EU countries themselves.
Besides, this is a normal reflex of all authorities and services around the world, following such a schock.
This means, in addition, that there will be cancellations or postponements of events (concerts, conferences, company meetings, sporting events) at least for the next days to weeks in Paris but perhaps in other European cities as well.
Beyond that, we will most likely be led towards other trends and reactions at the social and economic levels. Collective “demonization” of refugees and migrants, general mistrust, upsurge of social conflicts and xenophobia, freezing or overturning investment projects and business activities, are only a few characteristic examples.
A veil of “upheaval and terror ‘has descended over the Free World again and the problem is that we cannot yet discern what it hides exactly…
