Understanding the relationship between fear of pandemics and hotel visit intention: A multiple mediation model

Abstract

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is evident that pandemics entail significant and far-reaching economic and psychosocial consequences globally. This study seeks to examine the psychological impact of the fear of pandemics on the tourism sector by investigating the relationship between the Fear of COVID-19 and hotel visit intentions. Employing a multiple mediation model, we aim to enhance our understanding and specifically focus on the mediating roles of tourism based risks (destination risk, health risk, and travel risk) and purchase-based risk perception in a pandemic situation. The study draws on quantitative data obtained from travelers through a structured questionnaire. The findings reveal that, although fear of COVID-19 heightens tourism based risks and purchase-based risk perceptions, it concurrently diminishes hotel visit intentions. The authors propose a model to guide hotel managers and provide a concise summary of practical and strategic recommendations. It is noteworthy that the impact of the fear of COVID-19 on hotel service purchase intention, mediated by risk perception and various travel risk types, remains underexplored in the existing literature. Hence, the authors present a model that is particularly relevant for hotel managers, compressing practical and strategic insights.