The Effects of COVID-19 Risk Perception on Travel Intention: Evidence From Chinese Travelers

Risk perception and interpersonal discussion on risk: A systematic literature review

Risk perception research has long been attentive to the fact that risk is a social construction. Nevertheless, this fact has not been integrated into empirical research in any systematic manner. Empirical studies that do focus on the social construction of risk often do so from very different positions and with different objectives in mind. Interpersonal discussion, while considered an important medium of social construction, is rarely given consideration. This systematic literature review aims to provide a coherent foundation for empirical studies of interpersonal discussion on risk. Specifically, it summarizes existing research into the reciprocal relationship between interpersonal discussion on risk and individual-level risk perception. The systematic literature review adheres to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) guidelines. A total of 843 unique articles were identified, of which 60 are included in the review. A majority of the articles in the corpus found a positive association between interpersonal discussion on risk and risk perception. This association, however, lacks robustness, especially in terms of the direction of causality. Three theoretical interpretations of the relationship are found in the corpus: (1) interpersonal discussion as a conduit for risk information, (2) risk perception as shared social schemata, and (3) interpersonal discussion on risk as a facilitator of similarity between network members. Implications for future research are discussed. This literature review concludes with six guiding principles for future research into the interpersonal discussion-risk perception relationship.

The impact of the intensity of media use on potential tourists' risk perception and travel protective behavioral intentions in COVID-19

Introduction

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is an increased need for potential travelers to gather information about their trips to mitigate perceived risks. This study aims to understand the relationship between the intensity of media use (both new and traditional), epidemic risk perception, and tourism protection behavior intention among potential tourists.

Methods

A total of 491 valid questionnaires were collected in Shanghai, China. Factor analysis, path analysis, and effect analysis were conducted using SPSS and AMOS to examine the impact of different media types on epidemic risk perception and tourism protection behavior.

Results

The findings indicate a positive association between new media use intensity and epidemic risk perception, as well as an intention to adopt safety-conscious tourism behaviors. In contrast, traditional media usage is inversely associated with risk perception but has no significant influence on protective behavior. The results also highlight the role of demographic factors, such as age, education level, occupation, and income, in modulating the relationship between media usage and risk perception.

Discussion

The contrasting effects of new and traditional media suggest the need for a tailored approach in epidemic communication strategies. Public health officials should leverage new media to enhance risk perception and safety-oriented behaviors, while recognizing the role of traditional media in managing lower risk perceptions and assuaging panic. The study emphasizes the importance of personalized messaging based on demographic disparities in media usage and perception. The mediating role of risk perception in shaping protective behaviors offers insights for promoting adherence to safety protocols.

Conclusion

This study contributes to a comprehensive understanding of media influences during health crises, emphasizing the responsibility of media platforms in transmitting accurate information. The findings call for a nuanced approach to epidemic communication, considering the strengths and weaknesses of different media types. Segmented and personalized messaging strategies can cater to demographic variations in media usage and perception. Enhancing risk perception through tailored messaging can promote protective behaviors and effectively manage public sentiment during health crises.

A comparative study of eight COVID-19 protective measures and their impact on Swiss tourists' travel intentions

A comparative vignette-based experimental survey design incorporating various socio-psychological factors, linked to the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), the Health Belief Model (HBM) and the Domain-Specific Risk-Taking scale (DOSPERT) was carried out to test variations in eight travel-related COVID-19 protective measures on Swiss tourists' travel intentions. Among the tested measures, vaccination passports, surgical masks and quarantining are those that stand out the most, with surgical masks having the greatest acceptance and willingness to adopt while traveling. Quarantining, on the other hand, appears to have a deterrent influence on travel intentions, and vaccination passports have the lowest perceived barriers during travel, but the highest perceived benefits in mitigating the spread of the infection. The discussion of individual differences has specific implications for tourism management against the background of our empirical findings.

Differences of Host Country-Destination Image Assessment for International Students According to Risk Perception in COVID-19 Tourism

The study examined the comparative assessment of destination image according to the perception of COVID-19 and travel risk among international students. The online survey was administered to 786 international students enrolled in universities in Korea. Cluster analysis was performed, and three distinct clusters were identified based on risk perception. Destination image attributes were generated into four underlying dimensions: social environment, tourist environment, destination environment, and imagery, using the exploratory factor analysis. A revised Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) method was utilized to assess the destination image of Korea and used to compare the expected performance of the attributes on each cluster. In addition, a revised IPA grid of each cluster was presented to unveil the satisfaction attributes of the destination image and suggest communication strategies. This study provides practical insights to destination marketers and organizations to design marketing strategies for international students. Further practical and theoretical implications are discussed.

COVID-19 economic policy response, resilience and tourism recovery

This study investigates whether tourism sector recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic is influenced by only the size of the economic stimulus packages or whether a country's resilience plays a moderating influence in the underlying relationship. The results show that while economic stimulus packages help to enhance tourism recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is contingent on the level of a country's resilience. For instance, amongst the less resilient countries, the impact of economic policy response on the tourism recovery is more pronounced, but the effect dissipates as countries become more resilient. These findings have important implications for policymakers, management teams, and relevant stakeholders in their effort to revive the tourism sector from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Peer-to-peer accommodation in the time of COVID-19: A segmentation approach from the perspective of tourist safety

This research identifies safety practices to be adopted by organizations of peer-to-peer accommodation for different segments of tourists in a pandemic context. More specifically, it identifies the profiles of tourists based on their opinions on the safety practices they expect to find when booking peer-to-peer accommodation. Results from a Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) and Cluster Analysis applied to a sample of 864 prospective tourists suggest two prominent dimensions of safety practices: information and hygiene, and protection; and four types of tourist segments: concerned tourists, indifferent tourists, forewarned tourists, and confident tourists. While the concerned tourists value all safety practices most, the indifferent tourists do not require access to information about safety measures, although they do want information on the Covid-19 regulations at their destination. The forewarned tourists attach the least importance to aspects such as information and hygiene, and the greatest to the protection aspect. In contrast, the confident tourists value all information practices and safety measures but do not appreciate the protection aspects. These results will be helpful for peer-to-peer accommodation providers wishing to customize services during and after the Covid-19 period.

Pointers to Interventions for Promoting COVID-19 Protective Measures in Tourism: A Modelling Approach Using Domain-Specific Risk-Taking Scale, Theory of Planned Behaviour, and Health Belief Model

Based on the factors of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), the Health Belief Model (HBM), and the DOSPERT scale, used to measure general risk-taking behaviour, a combined model has been developed for investigating tourists’ intentions to implement protective measures against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The purpose of the study is to formulate a model that Swiss tourism practitioners can use to understand tourists’ decision-making regarding the acceptance and proper implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs). A large-scale cross-sectional population study that is representative for the Swiss population has been designed to validate the model (N = 1,683; 39% response rate). In our empirical investigation, a simple regression analysis is used to detect significant factors and their strength. Our empirical findings show that the significant effects can be ordered regarding descending effect size from severity (HBM), attitude (TPB), perceived behavioural control (TPB), subjective norm (TPB), self-efficacy (HBM), and perceived barriers (HBM) to susceptibility (HBM). Based on this information, intervention strategies and corresponding protective measures were linked to the social-psychological factors based on an expert workshop. Low-cost interventions for tourists (less time, less money, and more comfort), such as the free provision of accessories (free mask and sanitizers) or free testing (at cable cars), can increase the perceived behavioural control and lower the perceived barriers and thus increase the acceptance of this protective measure.

The Role of COVID-19 Vaccine Perception, Hope, and Fear on the Travel Bubble Program

The travel bubble program presented an appealing strategy for reopening international travel safely. However, a full vaccination regime is the foremost prerequisite of the program. Therefore, vaccination and the travel bubble are inextricably linked. This study investigated the roles of perceived vaccine efficacy, attitude towards the COVID-19 vaccine, and attitude toward the travel bubble on travel bubble intention. More importantly, the study also examined the mediating role of hope and fear among unvaccinated Korean adults between 20 and 29 years old. A total of 535 samples were collected to test the proposed conceptual model using structural equation modeling. In general, the results supported the proposed hypotheses. Notably, the intention to travel to a bubble destination was explained by 57% of the variance. Furthermore, hope mediated the relationship between vaccine attitude and travel bubble intention. Whereas fear mediated the relationship between perceived vaccine efficacy and intention. Hence, the findings suggest doubts around the vaccine efficacy and that a positive attitude towards the vaccine also install hope among the research samples.

Effectiveness of message framing in changing COVID-19 vaccination intentions: Moderating role of travel desire

This research examines the effectiveness of message framing, message appeal and information content in changing respondents' COVID-19 vaccination intentions through influencing their vaccine risk perceptions. Furthermore, the moderating effect of travel desire on the relationship between vaccine risk perceptions and changing vaccination intentions is examined. In doing so, two rounds of data that were collected from the same respondents. The first survey recorded respondents' vaccination intentions, travel desire and socio demographics. A follow up survey tested cause-and-effect relationships on the proposed relationships using a 2 (message frame: gain, loss) x 2 (message appeal: rational, emotional) ×2 (information content: subjective, objective) between-subjects online experimental design. Findings suggest that loss-framed messages are more effective than gain-framed and emotional-rational messages in reducing risk perceptions and, thus, changing vaccination intentions. Travel desire is found to moderate the effect of vaccine risk perception on vaccination intentions by weakening the negative effect of vaccine risk perception on vaccination intention. Findings show the importance of travel desire along with message framing and message appeal on changing individuals' COVID-19 vaccination intentions in public health communications.

Analyzing Commute Mode Choice Using the LCNL Model in the Post-COVID-19 Era: Evidence from China

The purpose of this paper is to gain an insight into commuting and travel mode choices in the post-COVID-19 era. The surveys are divided into two waves in Qingdao, China: the first-wave questionnaires were collected under the background of a three-month zero growth of cases; the second wave was implemented after the new confirmed cases of COVID-19. The latent class nested logit (LCNL) model is applied to capture heterogeneous characteristics among the various classes. The results indicate that age, income, household composition, and the frequency of use of travel modes are latent factors that impact users' attitudes toward mass transit and the private car nests when undergoing the shock of the COVID-19 pandemic. Individuals' trepidation regarding health risks began to fade, but this is still a vital consideration in terms of mode choice and the purchase of vehicles. Moreover, economic reinvigoration, the increase in car ownership, and an increase in the desire to purchase a car may result in great challenges for urban traffic networks.

The Impact of Perceptions of Positive COVID-19 Information on Travel Motivation and Intention: Evidence From Chinese University Students

The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced the tourism industry in various ways, including tourists' travel motivations and intentions. Unlike previous studies that have focused on the dark side of the pandemic, this study adds the dimension of perceptions of positive information on COVID-19 to the Theory of Planned Behavior to explore their influence on travel motivation and intention. A total of 470 valid questionnaires were collected from a sample of Chinese university students. The results showed that the students' perceptions of positive COVID-19 information positively impacted their travel intentions through the variables of perceived behavioral control, travel attitudes, and travel motivations. Perceived behavioral control was the mediating variable that most explained the impact of perceptions of positive COVID-19 information on travel motivation and intention. This study contributes to the understanding of the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism and of university students' travel motivations and intentions. It also offers implications for the tourism industry to formulate relevant recovery strategies during and after the pandemic.

Attribution Model of Travel Intention to Internet Celebrity Spots: A Systematic Exploration Based on Psychological Perspective

Previous studies have shown that the empathy process is the main driving factor that triggers tourists’ intention to visit Internet celebrity spots. However, the academic community has not yet formed a unified understanding of the concrete mechanism. Based on this, this study combines the connotations of meme theory and empathy theory and applies Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to empirically analyze 340 valid samples of Internet celebrity spots visitors to explore the influence mechanism of attributional factors on travel intention. The result shows that mechanism of travel intention can be presented as a psychological model in which travel attribution of tourists to visit Internet celebrity spots is the independent variable, the travel intention is the dependent variable, and the empathy process is the intermediary variable. The influence intensity of internal attribution on affective empathy is higher than that of external attribution, while the influence intensity of external attribution on cognitive empathy has a comparative advantage, and there is a significant difference between them. Empathy process has a significant mediating effect on the relationship between travel attribution and travel intention of tourists to visit Internet celebrity spots, and the mediating effect of affective empathy is significantly greater than that of cognitive empathy. Overall, this study reveals the segmentation elements with strong explanatory power in the behavior of “internet celebrity spots punch in,” examines the practical effect of empathy process in the behavioral intention of traveling, and provides a theoretical reference for the transformation and upgrading of tourist destinations and marketing planning of online communication in the future.