Purpose – This paper aims to review the very limited literature on tourist harassment, discusses
determinants and offers some policy suggestions for controlling the problem. Some emphasis is given
to the Caribbean where harassment has been a long-standing issue.
Design/methodology/approach – In order to gauge the extent and patterns of harassment, an
exhaustive review of the literature is conducted and two recent case studies on Barbados and
Marmaris, Turkey are extensively summarized.
Findings – Results indicate harassment is an increasing problem with global dimensions. Vendor
persistence is the main type, followed by drug peddling and sexual harassment with most incidents
occurring at the beach and/or shopping areas and the least at hotels. Regarding underlying
determinants, the literature emphasizes host-guest socio-economic distances while the case studies
emphasize cultural differences.
Research limitations/implications – Although the research review is limited principally to
third-world destinations, suggested best practice policy directions are useful for mature destinations in
developed countries. They include: involving all tourism stakeholders in addressing the issue,
promoting programs to enhance resident-visitor mutual understanding, improving reporting
mechanisms and systematic tracking of the problem and, in the long run, integrating those at the
margin who comprise most of the harassers into the tourism mainstream.
Originality/value – The paper fills a gap in the literature on a growing concern and concludes with
two training exercises to deepen understanding of the issue.
Keywords Tourism, Caribbean, Harassment, National cultures, Gender
Paper type General revie