The recent spike in terrorist activity in other parts of the world could lead to a spike in tourist activity in countries like South Africa.

That’s according the North-West University’s Professor Melville Saayman‚ who said tourism experts are asking: “What now constitutes a safe tourist destination?”

He said the “influx of Syrian refugees to European safe havens” — and reports that ISIS militants were among them – “has tourists worried”.

“It is also evident that countries engaging ISIS on the battlefront as well as countries condemning ISIS paint themselves‚ and more specifically their civilians‚ as targets for retribution.

“Countries like Argentina who stay out of the ISIS debate are likely to become a more popular tourist destination. After the September 11 terrorist attacks we saw a spike in the amount of tourists to developing countries such as South Africa‚” explained Saayman.

“If attacks on the European continent continue we are going to see the emergence of previously stagnant tourism markets.”

The professor believed that “travel agencies and the respective countries will have to start marketing themselves in such a manner that takes this global threat into account”.

“Research has shown that one of the dominant factors that contribute to the choosing of a tourism destination is a country’s safety and stability.”