Using fuzzy set theoretic techniques to analyze travel risk: An empirical study

Because of the subjective cognition on risk attributes and the fuzziness on perceived-risk judgment, consumers feel uncertain in purchasing travel-related products. In this paper, we use the membership grade of 'possibility' and 'significance' to establish the analysis matrix of travel risks, which can describe the consumers' different cognition on perceived-risk attribute. After that, we combine the analysis matrix and the degree of risk preference strategy to build the travel perceived risk averse strategy matrix and then to analyze the consumers' preference averse strategy. Finally, we use the consumers to Kinmen National Park located on Kinmen Island in the Taiwan Strait as an example to do empirical study. The result shows that consumers think the financial and physical risks attributes are higher and more significant. This implies that consumers have the characteristic of higher perceived risk and they prefer the averse strategy of buying the travel assurance. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.