Compensatory Travel Post COVID-19: Cognitive and Emotional Effects of Risk Perception

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented and devastating impact on the travel and tourism industry worldwide. To sustain tourism organizations in the post-pandemic period, it is crucial to understand the factors that maintain, boost, or diminish the potential demands of international travel. With faith in the industry’s resilience, travel and tourism organizations are counting on the prospect of compensatory travel. However, little is known about the factors affecting potential demands and compensatory travel intention in a post-pandemic world. Hence, this study attempts to conceptualize compensatory travel and to investigate tourists’ cognitive and emotional processes that link risk perception about COVID-19 and compensatory travel intention. The findings support the proposed dual-processing model of suppressing and accelerating travel desire caused by COVID-19. The effect of travel desire on compensatory travel intention is also found.

COVID-19-induced negative emotions and the impacts on personal values and travel behaviors: A threat appraisal perspective

“…First, this study initially extends and consummates the theory of protective travel behavior by advancing the intriguing emotion–value linkage. While protective travel behavior has garnered academic attention in the wake of COVID-19, existing research is predominantly centered on the emotional impacts on subsequent travel attitudes and behaviors ( Kim, Yang, et al, 2021 ; Rather, 2021 ; Zheng et al, 2021 ). Undoubtedly, emotions are the most salient and immediate responses of the threat stimulus, but the basis for attributing protective behaviors to emotions by direct causation appears untenable ( Baumeister et al, 2007 ).…”

“…According to PMT, the pandemic crisis inevitably evokes threat appraisals regarding the severity and vulnerability of related risks and available coping resources. The disproportional match of high inflection risk and unavailable remedies instigate emotional and affective responses to the situation, creating a state of tension ( Kim, Seo, & Choi, 2021 ; Zheng et al, 2021 ). Individuals’ affective experiences in this crisis are expected to be complicated as a result of the combination of different negative emotions ( Somma et al, 2020 ).…”

“…The emotion of fear and anxiety, amongst other emotions, has been underscored as a natural affective response arising from the pandemic threat appraisal ( Kim, Yang, et al, 2021 ; Luo & Lam, 2020 ; Özdin & Özdin, 2020 ; Rather, 2021 ; Zenker et al, 2021 ; Zheng et al, 2021 ). In the context of tourism research, emotions have gained attention as an essential determinant in predicting COVID-induced travel behaviors ( Luo & Lam, 2020 ; Zenker et al, 2021 ; Zheng et al, 2021 ).…”

“…Extant tourism literature predominantly attributes protective travel behaviors during the pandemic to the threat appraisals and risks perceptions of COVID-19 ( Bhati et al, 2021 ; Chua, Al-Ansi, Lee, & Han, 2021 ; Nazneen, Xu, Din, & Karim, 2021 ), as well as the emotional reactions predisposed to such threats ( Luo & Lam, 2020 ; Zenker, Braun, & Gyimóthy, 2021 ; Zheng et al, 2021 ). While the role of negative emotions such as fear and anxiety has been emphasized for their influences on travel propensity ( Kim, Yang, et al, 2021 ; Luo & Lam, 2020 ; Rather, 2021 ; Zenker et al, 2021 ; Zheng et al, 2021 ), the presumption of this direct causation is subject to criticism of oversimplification fallacy. Some essential components in the underlying intervening mechanism may have been overlooked ( Baumeister, Vohs, Nathan DeWall, & Zhang, 2007 ).…”

Sustainable or a Butterfly Effect in Global Tourism? Nexus of Pandemic Fatigue, COVID-19-Branded Destination Safety, Travel Stimulus Incentives, and Post-Pandemic Revenge Travel

“…In terms of the pandemic, the opening of the borders and the relaxation of travel restrictions might create the feeling that people now have heightened control over their behaviors, which, in return, has resulted in revenge travel. Furthermore, having stayed indoors for a long time, pandemic-fatigued individuals are likely to develop a more positive attitude towards traveling [97].…”