After the Seoul Halloween crowd crush: a mixed-method approach to enhance intentions to visit Itaewon

• Published in: Current issues in tourism 2024-10, Vol.27 (20), p.3333-3351
• Main Author: Joo, Kyuhyeon
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Attraction; Content analysis; Crowds; Crushing; Data analysis; Data collection; destination attractiveness; Emotions; Image processing; Local economy; mixed-method approach; perceived image of a film destination; Perceived risk; Qualitative analysis; Questions; Risk perception
• ISSN: 1368-3500; 1747-7603
• DOI: 10.1080/13683500.2023.2262708

This study aims (1) to investigate the perceived risks (i.e. safety, crime, and social risks) associated with the crowd crush accident, (2) to examine the effects of perceived risks, destination attractiveness, and perceived image of a film destination on anticipated emotions and intentions to visit, and (3) to explore another motivator/barrier of visitor behaviour. The data was collected from 921 respondents who were South Korean residents and were aware of the incident. The close-ended questions from the data collection were analyzed by conducting a quantitative analysis. The results indicated that all dimensions of perceived risks affect negative anticipated emotion, and social risk is also negatively related to positive anticipated emotion. It also revealed that destination attractiveness and the perceived image of a film destination affect positive anticipated emotion, and the perceived image is also negatively related to negative anticipated emotion. In addition, the causal effects of positive/negative anticipated emotions on intentions to visit were identified. Moreover, the study conducted a qualitative analysis to analyze the data collected using open-ended questions. The content analysis showed that factors such as unique restaurants, perceived crowding, reviving the local economy, and nostalgia are associated with intentions to visit Itaewon.