Does International Travel Frequency Affect COVID-19 Biosecurity Behavior in the United States?

Abstract

High-quality biosecurity practices are critical to restarting international tourism. Effective market segmentation improves the communication and efficacy of health advice. Travel frequency is an important basis for health-related consumer segmentation, as it is closely related to risk of greater exposure to infectious diseases. Theoretically grounded studies of tourist biosecurity behavior and travel frequency have largely been neglected, although insights into practices and attitudes are especially relevant for coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19 (coronavirus disease of 2019) health responses. Therefore, this research constructed and tested a conceptual model applying Value–Attitude–Behavior theory to US travelers to see whether the frequency of international travel affected tourist COVID-19 related biosecurity behavior. US respondents were drawn from a panel using a quota sampling technique according to the age and gender of American outbound tourists. An online survey was administered in September 2020. The responses (n = 395) of those who traveled internationally within five years were analyzed utilizing partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with multi-group analysis. Travel frequency significantly affects biosecurity behavior. High travel frequency (≥8 trips) has the strongest effect of value on biosecurity attitudes, personal norms, social norms, and biosecurity social norms, leading to biosecurity behaviors. Biosecurity behaviors pertaining to medium travel frequency (4–7 trips) are significantly influenced by personal norms. At low travel frequency (1–3 trips) levels, biosecurity behaviors are stimulated by biosecurity attitudes and social norms, showing the highest predictive power among the three groups. This work provides insights into international travel consumer biosecurity practices and behavior. From a market segmentation perspective, the levels of international travel frequency have various influences on biosecurity values, attitudes, personal norms, social norms, and behaviors. The biosecurity behaviors of low-frequency travelers are found to be the most significant of the three groups, suggesting that individuals who travel less frequently are more likely to practice responsible COVID-19 biosecurity behavior.

Factors Affecting Pandemic Biosecurity Behaviors of International Travelers: Moderating Roles of Gender, Age, and Travel Frequency

“…Significantly, for the determination of targeted interventions in terms of travel frequency, more frequent international travelers are more likely to follow recommended biosecurity behaviors than infrequent travelers. These findings show some similarity to prior travel frequency studies [18,19,[24][25][26].…”

“…For example, travel frequency can predict consumer behavior of leisurely walking, travel time, and/or activities in the context of outdoor recreation participation [24]. Importantly, there is a suggestion that biosecurity behaviors may be related to international travel frequency [26]. Therefore, this study proposes the following hypothesis:…”

“…Studies have also found that the value-attitude-behavior model and the moderating role of tourist's personalities are significant for COVID-19 biosecurity [33]. Researchers identified that tourist values, attitudes, personal norm, social norm, and tourist biosecurity behaviors are different depending on international travel frequency, while frequency has also been found to influence U.S. tourists' biosecurity behaviors [26]. However, despite the potential importance of values, attitudes, interventions, behaviors, tourist characteristics (e.g., gender and age), and travel frequency on international travel following a pandemic, comprehensive integrated research on how these factors influence international travel consumers' COVID-19 biosecurity behaviors is limited.…”

“…The measurements consist of 18 items that measure four constructs, including the following: values on COVID-19, attitudes toward COVID-19 biosecurity, COVID-19 interventions of travel, and COVID-19 biosecurity behaviors for travel. Six items addressing values on COVID-19 biosecurity for travel were generated from previous studies (e.g., "Participating in human biosecurity is an ethically right action when traveling during the pandemic") [26]. Three items relevant to attitudes toward biosecurity for travel were based on existing literature (e.g., "Participating in human biosecurity is an ethically right action when traveling during the pandemic") [7].…”

“…The frequency of travel and outdoor recreation participation also has significant effects on predicting traveling behavior [24,25]. Interestingly, international travel frequencies may also help predict biosecurity tourists' values, attitudes, and behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic [26].…”