Understanding Tourists’ Attitude Toward Online Travel Health Information During and Post-COVID-19: A Health Belief Model Application

Abstract

Due to people’s anxieties about COVID-19, it may take years before international tourism returns to pre-pandemic levels. Thus, it is crucial to understand how tourists’ health beliefs influence their travel decision-making processes during and after the SARS-COV2 pandemic, and to develop new strategies to support and meet tourists’ current needs and concerns. The current study employs a Health Belief Model (HBM) perspective to examine the influence on tourists’ health risk prevention – and subsequently on their travel intention – of reading travel health information online, while considering tourists’ perceptions of threat susceptibility and severity, and usefulness of travel health information. As risk perception is influenced by individual differences such as gender and previous experience, the study model includes the demographic factors of age, gender, and health status. The model was tested using a survey questionnaire completed by 261 respondents in Saudi Arabia who were considering travelling abroad for tourism. Results were analyzed using PLS-SEM. The study found that perceived susceptibility and perceived usefulness each significantly and positively influenced the perception of importance of reading health information, and the perception of importance of reading travel health information online significantly and positively influenced travel intention. The discussion includes additional findings as well as implications for industry practice and policy regarding online pandemic-related information, in order to improve protection efficacy and enhance information content and style to adequately serve the needs of tourists from a health belief perspective.