Post COVID-19: cautious or courageous travel behaviour?

ABSTRACT

This paper focuses on post-pandemic travel behaviour and examines the relationship between destination-risk image and pre-travel behaviour using health-protective behaviour and media engagement as mediators. It empirically tests the model proposed by Bhati et al. The researchers adopt a pragmatist paradigm and utilise mixed methods to develop and test the adapted PMT framework. The findings confirm that, in the COVID-19 pandemic context, destination health-risk image has an effect on pre-travel behaviour via media engagement and health protective behaviour. Respondents preferred destinations that handled the pandemic crisis effectively, implemented hygiene and safety protocols, and had robust healthcare systems.

KEYWORDS:

• COVID-19
• destination-risk image
• media
• travel intention
• tourism planning
• mixed method

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).