Abstract
Revenge travel has globally emerged as a dominant touristic behavior, signaling a rapid return of global tourism, but with a greater temptation for spending more and staying longer. Despite the expanding focus on global sustainable tourism, there is a lack of empirical evidence on the potential factors that build momentum for revenge travel. The aim of the present study was to develop and test a conceptualized model of revenge travel under the influence of pandemic fatigue, COVID-19-branded destination safety, and travel stimulus incentives. Drawing on the study data of international expats (N = 422) and using covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM), the findings provide new evidence that revenge travel is significantly and positively influenced by pandemic fatigue. Interestingly, the empirical findings also support two positive moderations, highlighting that COVID-19-branded destination safety (CBDS) and travel stimulus incentives (TI) can significantly increase the impact of pandemic fatigue (PF) on revenge travel (RT). Based on prominent theories (i.e., theory of planned behavior, protection motivation theory, and incentive theory of motivation) and newly developed scales (i.e., RT, CBDS, and TI), the study highlights the dynamics of revenge travel as it sets the stage for global tourism to rebound stronger than ever. The implications include new challenges and ways forward through revenge travel as a stepping stone for global sustainable tourism.
Highlights
The global tourism industry’s sustainable future has been challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has endangered the wellness and lives of tens of thousands of individuals globally
The results revealed that the evaluation of smart tourism offers an overview of the level of tourist comprehension and satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic
Foreign diplomats and staff members of international organizations located across Pakistan, especially those residing in the capital (Islamabad) and the cities of Lahore and Karachi, were contacted through direct emails, which were accessed through their official websites
Summary
The global tourism industry’s sustainable future has been challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has endangered the wellness and lives of tens of thousands of individuals globally. Despite the pandemic initially being associated with Eastern Asian countries, it has had a disproportionate impact, especially on the underprivileged and less developed nations. The pandemic forced many governments to face and deal with serious risks [1] and implement various countermeasures (e.g., restrictions on social activities, travel, and tourism, etc.). Even domestic traveling ceased in some countries to prevent the spread of the pandemic [2]. These developments have urged families and individuals to explore alternative and safer tourism
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