The impact of protection motivation on restaurant consumer purchase intention after the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

ABSTRACT One of the sectors that has experienced the biggest changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic is the restaurant sector. It has been observed that studies focusing on the current situation of the restaurant sector after the pandemic are quite limited. This study examines consumers’ purchase intentions during restaurant visits after the Covid pandemic based on the protection motivation theory. As a result of this study, it has been revealed that protection motivation factors, which can be considered as one of the antecedents of attitudes and behaviors during the pandemic, continue after the pandemic. The study was examined in line with the data obtained from Istanbul, Ankara and Antalya, which are the three most important metropolitan cities of the country and where the pandemic danger is felt the most in Turkey between January and March 2024. The data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling. The findings have revealed that perceived severity and perceived vulnerability, which are protection motivation factors, have a significant negative effect on consumers’ purchase intentions, while perceived self-efficacy has a significant positive effect on the purchase intentions of consumers who visit restaurants.