Exploring the consequences of COVID-19 on tourist behaviors: perceived travel risk, animosity and intentions to travel

Purpose This paper aims to report on the findings emerging from an international study focused on the COVID-19 pandemic impact on travel attitudes and behavioral intentions . Design/methodology/approach An online survey created with SurveyMonkey was distributed to a sample of 216 international travelers who were at least 18 years of age. Findings The findings suggest that attribution theory (locus of control) may account for international travel. Individuals attributing the spread of COVID-19 to their own countries (internal locus of control) are more likely to travel abroad. Statistically significant differences are observed between various generational cohorts concerning perceived travel risk, domestic and international travel. Originality/value The impact of a health crisis on domestic and international travels conceptualized in a single model is absent from the literature. The authors propose a model to account for the influence of pandemics on tourists’ attitudes and intentions to travel and whether attribution of blame influences travel destination choices (domestic or international).