Segmenting International Tourists Based on the Integration of Travel Risk Perceptions and Past Travel Experience.

Perceived travel risks arise from the uncertain and undesirable consequences associated with traveling to a destination. These perceived risks could make tourists feel reluctant to travel to a particular destination, or conversely may tempt some to visit a certain destination to feed their taste for adventure. Tourists may not perceive and react to the same types and degrees of risk in the same manner. This is due to their socially constructed knowledge and past experience associated with related incidents, which result in such incidents being perceived differently. Therefore, this paper has three purposes. First, it examines travel risk dimensions as perceived by international tourists. Second, it seeks to segment international tourists based on a combination of protective motivation theory (perceived vulnerability and severity) and travel use history theories (past travel experience). Third, it determines how each segment employs risk reduction strategies as self-protective behaviors. Thailand was chosen as the location for the study. Using perceived vulnerability and severity of risk perceptions as cluster variates, the cluster analysis of 511 questionnaires resulted in three segments of tourists being identified, with varying degrees of risk propensity and personal profiles. Their risk reduction strategies were examined. Practical and theoretical implications are also offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]