PurposeThis study modified, revised and validated a travel safety attitude scale (TSAS) using data collected from Canadian residents with out-of-country travel experiences.Design/methodology/approachThe authors proposed a higher component model (HCM) of TSAS, using a reflective-formative measurement model. In consultation with eight experts, a set of purified TSAS items was revised by checking wording and content. A questionnaire was administered to 531 participants using Amazon Mechanical Turk. The scale was validated with the partial least squares method of structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), and the analysis was performed using SmartPLS 3.0.FindingsThe final results suggested a five-factor solution with 27 items, with a satisfactory level of reliability and validity at the first-order (reflective) and second-order (formative) constructs. The predictive validity result showed that TSAS is negatively related to tourist risk-taking intention.Research limitations/implicationsTSAS advanced research on travel safety attitudes and demonstrated the feasibility of using PLS-SEM in examining the Type II model. Future studies can focus on replicating the study in other countries, adding more variables for predictive validity tests and examining the interrelationship with affective attitudes.Practical implicationsThe authors suggested a more proactive approach to assess tourist safety attitudes based on travel safety information (TSI), health concern (HC), vulnerability to crime (VTC), personal safety (PES) and police safety (PS), listed in descending order of importance.Originality/valueThe study results provide directions for destination marketing organizations to allocate resources to maintain a positive travel safety attitude from potential and current tourists.