The dynamics of travel avoidance: The case of Ebola in the U.S.

The study examined factors that influenced Americans' avoidance of domestic travel due to confirmed cases of Ebola in the United States in late 2014. The Health Belief Model served as a theoretical framework for the study. Data were generated from 1613 Americans from an online survey. Perceived susceptibility and self-efficacy were found to significantly influence domestic travel avoidance. The findings also supported the significant role of perceived risk, subjective knowledge, age, and gender. Given the possibility that an Ebola outbreak may reemerge in the future and the emergence of additional health-related crises (e.g., Zika virus), the findings may also aid the tourism industry in planning for and responding to other health pandemics. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.