Post COVID-19: cautious or courageous travel behaviour?

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.

Automated summary

This paper examines the relationship between destination-risk image and pre-travel behaviour, finding that destination health-risk image influences pre-travel behaviour via media engagement and health protective behaviour.