How to improve consumers’ travel intentions under the COVID-19 pandemic: An empirical study in China

Abstract

One of the most challenging issues confronting tour operators is how to improve consumers' travel intention after the COVID-19 pandemic. Considering the immediacy of the situation, existing studies exploring this problem are necessarily limited. Based on a theory of reasoned action, this paper proposes a research model to investigate factors influencing consumers' travel intentions in the wake of the pandemic. Using structural equation modeling analysis of 826 consumers in China, the results showed that: (1) physical risk had the greatest negative impact on consumers' attitudes toward travel, followed by psychological risk; (2) physical risk had a negative effect on consumers' subjective norms, while the effect of psychological risk on consumers' subjective norms was not significant; (3) risk perception, including physical and psychological risk, affected consumers' travel intentions through subjective norms and attitudes; and (4) consumers' perceptions of the seriousness of the pandemic and travel experience act as a negative moderators between attitude toward travel and travel intentions. The conclusions of this study provide vital information for tour operators to create viable and sustainable operations in this time of crisis.

Keywords:

• Risk perception
• perceived serious of COVID-19 pandemic
• travel experience
• theory of reasoned action
• consumers’ travel intentions

Additional information

Funding

This work is supported by Social Science Planning Research Project of Shandong Province under project number [21DGLJ10].

Notes on contributors

Liang Ma

Liang Ma is a vice professor for Information Systems at the University of Shandong University of Finance and Economics, Jinan, China. His research focuses on social media, information systems, and shared economy. He has published in Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behavior, International Journal of Sustainable Transportation, Journal of Knowledge Management, Information and Management, Internet Research, Journal of Enterprise Information Management, Online Information Review, International Journal of Mobile Communications, Behavior & Information Technology, Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, International Journal of Market Research, Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems, and others.

Xin Zhang

Xin Zhang is Professor for Information Systems at the University of Shandong University of Finance and Economics, Jinan, China. His research focuses on information systems, electronic commerce and electronic markets. He has published in Journal of Intelligent & Fuzzy Systems, Applied Mathematics & Computation, Information and Management, Internet Research, Journal of Enterprise Information Management, Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, International Journal of Sustainable Transportation, Behavior & Information Technology, International Journal of Mobile Communications, Online Information Review, and others.

Feng Xu

Feng Xu is a vice professor for Information Systems at the University of Shandong University of Finance and Economics, Jinan, China. His research focuses on tourism management, information systems, and shared economy. He has published in Information and Management and others.

Peng Yu

Peng Yu is a PhD student for Information Systems at the University of Shandong University of Finance and Economics, Jinan, China. His research focuses on information systems and spreading of rumors. He has published in Mobile Information Systems and others.