Is the coast clear? Trust, risk-reducing behaviours and anxiety toward cruise travel in the wake of COVID-19

Abstract

The study develops a segmentation typology based on consumer trust toward a particular agency and explores the impacts risk-reducing behaviours and anxiety have on cruise travel in the wake of COVID-19. It examined 504 Australian respondents in an online survey to derive three consumer segments, namely, Trust Government, Trust Government, and Cruise Company and Trust None. All three segments demonstrated that reduced anxiety significantly heightened desire and subsequently, intention to travel. The conceptual contributions of integrating trust, handled risk and anxiety in the crisis travel literature were highlighted. Also, the pragmatic implications for addressing trust to reduce risk and anxiety as well as to increase desire and intention to travel were examined with a proposed 4Cs framework.

Contrasting the COVID-19 Effects on Tourism Safety Perceptions and Coping Behavior among Young People during Two Pandemic Waves: Evidence from Egypt

“…Within the risk perception attitude (RPA) theoretical framework [15], the present study provided a broad understanding of youngsters' attitudes, suggesting that this segment is soon ready to return to leisure and tourism activities, confirming past studies [21,22,45,46,48,79].…”

“…Currently, tourism activities involving close contact with other participants and requiring people frequently touching surfaces and objects imply a major risk for people, resulting in "immunity pods" that stay away from conventional hotels, restaurants, activities, and crowds [44]. Limited travel activities are proven to be a risk-reducing mechanism during a health crisis [45]. Thus, it is pertinent to consider tourism safety perceptions regarding the whole tourism experience, detaching travelling from perceptions related to tourism activities.…”

COVID-19’s impact on the perceived risk of ocean cruising: A best-worst scaling study of Australian consumers

“…While research into risk perceptions of cruising has been limited (Holland et al, 2021b;Radic et al, 2020), prior research suggests travel decision-making is complex and risk is an important aspect (Karl et al, 2015;Quintal et al, 2021). Quintal et al (2010) used the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to provide a contextual framework for explaining the relationship between consumers' risk perceptions and their intentions and attitudes to travel.…”

Conceptualising risk in cruise holidays: A critical review

“…Conceptual and empirical research on risk in relation to tourism has a long history supporting an extensive body of knowledge. While research on understanding travel related risk often increases in response to global crises (Korstanje, 2009; C. C. Lee et al, 2021; Pennington‐Gray, 2018; Yang et al, 2017; Yang & Nair, 2014), there have been few attempts to understand tourists' risk perception in relation to cruise holidays with scholars calling for more research (Holland, 2020; Le & Arcodia, 2018; Quintal et al, 2021). This gap in knowledge is significant as the presence of risk, whether real or perceived, has the potential to influence tourist decision‐making.…”