A longitudinal analysis of the effects of COVID-19 on tourists’ health risk perceptions

• Published in: Social science & medicine (1982) 2024-09, Vol.357, p.117230, Article 117230
• Main Authors: Carballo, Rita R., León, Carmelo J., Carballo, María M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 - psychology; COVID-19 pandemic; Female; Health risk perceptions; Humans; Intention; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Multi-group analysis; Pandemics; Perception; Risk Assessment; SARS-CoV-2; SEM; Surveys and Questionnaires; Tourism; Travel - psychology
• ISSN: 0277-9536; 1873-5347; 1873-5347
• DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.117230

The COVID-19 pandemic provoked a large impact on tourism because of the enforcement of harsh travel restrictions and the increased global health risks caused by international mobility. This paper utilizes a longitudinal analysis to tests the impact of COVID-19 on tourists’ health risk perceptions, and their relationships with destination image perception and visiting intentions. Tourists are surveyed at two different points of time, before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Multi-group structural equation modeling is utilized for the comparison of the relationships at the two points of time. The results show that the negative influence of health risk perceptions on destination image perception and visiting intentions are significantly larger after the COVID-19 pandemic while there are no significant differences in the impact of destination image perception on visiting intentions. Thus, not only are tourists more sensitive to health risk perceptions after COVID-19, but this higher sensitivity has larger impacts both on their perceptions of destination image and on the behavioural implication. The results have useful implications in terms of the need to dedicate more efforts for the management of health conditions of destinations after COVID-19. •Presents a framework for conceptualizing and assessing health risk perceptions in tourism destinations in two scenarios, pre and post-pandemic.•Longitudinal appraisal of the impact of the pandemic on health risk perceptions.•Quantitatively testing the effects of the pandemic on health risk perception and health-related behavior.