Hotel Guests' Revisit Intentions Post-Covid-19: Reexamining the Role of Service Quality, CSR, and Reputation While Accounting for Guests' Trepidation

Abstract

This study reexamines the relationships between service quality (SQ), CSR, and hotel reputation and their effects on hotel guests' revisit intentions (RIs) in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also assesses the moderating role of fear of visit caused by COVID-19 on the paths between established variables and guests' future (post-COVID-19) RIs. Data were collected during May 2021 from 195 French respondents who stayed at mid- to upscale hotels during the previous 2 years. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), results revealed that, while SQ directly and indirectly (through reputation) positively influences guests' post-COVID-19 RIs, CSR only exerts an indirect positive influence on RIs through reputation. Moreover, findings indicated that a hotel reputation can ease guests' fear, thereby driving future post-COVID-19 revisits. These results add to the few studies in hospitality and tourism on the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic (through fear of visit) on travelers' future revisit intent.