Perceived risk and travel motivation as determinants of outbound travel intention during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has strongly affected all economic sectors. Global tourism has also faced serious threats, due to lifestyle changes and measures taken to prevent the spread of infectious disease. At the same time, in conditions of high uncertainty, the tourists' attitudes, intentions, and behavior are changing significantly. Therefore, this paper aims to identify the effects of perceived risk and travel motivation on domestic tourists' intention to travel abroad during the pandemic. Primary data were collected using the survey method. By applying multiple regression analysis to a sample of 286 respondents, a statistically significant negative effect of health and psychological risk on the intention to travel abroad was determined. Additionally, the research confirmed the significant positive effect of tourist motivation on travel intention. The originality of the paper was achieved through an examination of the connections between perceived risk, travel motivation, and travel intention in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, originality is reflected in the analysis of the effects of different categories of perceived risk on the intention to travel during the pandemic. The results obtained provide a basis for understanding the tourists' behavior and have significant implications for the creation of the tourist offer and the formation of perceived risk management strategies.