Foreign Tourists as Homicide Victims in Croatia: A Routine Activity Approach

Abstract

Safety of tourists is highly important in tourism-oriented countries such as Croatia, and the most serious threat to tourists is homicide. This paper examines the factors that have led to the homicides of foreign tourists in Croatia. For this analysis routine activity theory approach and its three key elements are used: a motivated offender, a suitable target, and the absence of a capable guardian. As there is no official data on crimes against foreign tourists in Croatia, the analysis was conducted using data from the media. The data for this analysis was collected using a questionnaire developed specifically for this purpose. The questionnaire included data on 18 variables, which can be divided into three groups: offender characteristics, victim characteristics and the circumstances of the offence. The analysis showed that three factors had the strongest influence on the commission of foreign tourists’ homicides: they entered quarrels with unknown or little-known people; they consumed large amounts of alcohol with people they did not know well; and they were alone in an unfamiliar environment, far from the police or other people who could help them.