Which travel risks are more salient for destination choice? An examination of the tourist’s decision-making process

The paper examines which travel risks are more salient for tourists' destination choice. An integrated travel-decision risk typology with survey data from 835 potential tourists is developed and tested. Specifically, this paper explores the interplay of risk types, tourist attributes and destination characteristics. It examines if travel risks linked to nature, health, terrorism, criminality, political instability are more salient for tourists' destination choice, and how risk perceptions influence tourists in the key stages of the decision-making process. Results offer an important baseline for future studies in the post-COVID-19 phase. First, the integrated travel-decision risk typology distinguishes between sociodemographic, psychological and travel-related factors. It shows that past travel experience shapes risk perceptions and impacts tourists’ future destination choice. Second, the study reveals that natural hazards are not the key barrier in the early decision-making stage of the destination choice process. Third, tourist segments that are resilient to certain risks are identified. This paper concludes with implications for the tourism practice with recommendations on how to manage travel risk and decision-making behaviours in the post-COVID-19 phase.
Highlights • The decision-maker, risk type and destination explain travel decision-making. • Some tourist segments are only resilient to certain risk types. • Risk adverse tourists are drawn to the familiarity of well-known destinations. • Risk resilient tourists are attracted by the novelty of less known destinations. • Past travel experience shapes risk perception and impacts future destination choice.