The mediation of perceived risk's impact on destination image and travel intention: An empirical study of Chengdu, China during COVID-19.

Xiufang Jiang,Jianguo Gao,Jianxiong Qin,Mollie G Gossage,Ghaffar Ali

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0261851

Xiufang Jiang, Jianguo Gao + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0261851

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Abstract

Perceived risk clearly impacts travel behavior, including destination selection and satisfaction, but it is unclear how or why its effect is only significant in certain cases. This is because existing studies have undervalued the mediating factors of risk aversion, government initiatives, and media influence as well as the multiple forms or dimensions of risk that can mask its direct effect. This study constructs a structural equation model of perceived risk's impact on destination image and travel intention for a more nuanced model of the perceived risk mechanism in tourism, based on 413 e-questionnaires regarding travel to Chengdu, China during the COVID-19 pandemic, using the Bootstrap method to analyze suppressing effect. It finds that while perceived risk has a significant negative impact on destination image and travel intention, this is complexly mediated so as to appear insignificant. Furthermore, different mediating factors and dimensions of perceived risk operate differently according to their varied combinations in actual circumstances. This study is significant because it provides a theoretical interpretation of tourism risk, elucidates the mechanisms or paths by which perceived risk affects travel intention, and expands a framework for research on destination image and travel intention into the realms of psychology, political, and communication science. It additionally encourages people to pay greater attention to the negative impact of crises and focuses on the important role of internal and external responses in crisis management, which can help improve the effectiveness of crisis management and promote the sustainable development of the tourism industry.

Highlights

Safety is a fundamental prerequisite for development in the tourism industry and a crucial consideration for the majority of tourists and the tourism sector as a whole [1]
PHY1 Human-made crises or natural disasters that may occur at tourism sites PHY2 Public security incidents that may occur at tourism sites PHY3 I may get sick during travel, e.g. with COVID-19 EQU1 The destination has poor basic infrastructure EQU2 The destination has poor sanitation EQU3 Traffic is inconvenient at the tourism destination COS1 During the trip, actual costs will exceed expectations
This study finds that when impacted by a crisis, government initiatives have a greater effect on destination image than media influence

Summary

Introduction

Safety is a fundamental prerequisite for development in the tourism industry and a crucial consideration for the majority of tourists and the tourism sector as a whole [1]. Chengdu (30 ̊5’–31 ̊26’N and 102 ̊54’–104 ̊53’E) is the capital of Sichuan Province in Southwest China (Fig 1). It started with a single new case of locally transmitted COVID-19 identified in Chengdu’s Pidu District; before long, six different areas across the city had been upgraded to medium-risk: in Pidu District, Babuqiao Community Group 8, Xichi Community Group 2, Taiping Village, Yongan Village Group 8, Boluo Community China Railway Orville Phase II and III, and—in Chenghua District—Huadu Yunjingtai Community (Fig 1). The outbreak never expanded as some watchers online had feared; on December 31, Chengdu was cleared of all medium-risk areas

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