The impact of central Asian tourists' risk perception on their travel intentions during the COVID-19 pandemic

Central Asian (CA) countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan) are assumed to be one of the most attractive tourist destinations since this particular geographical location holds immense potential in tourism products. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the flourishing tourism sector of these countries has been immensely affected. The aim of this study is to examine the impact of Central Asian tourists' risk attitudes toward traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic through consideration of sociodemographic characteristics. The research was conducted during January through April 2021 based on a sample of 966 respondents via an online questionnaire. In the survey, risks are divided into four main categories: health, psychological, financial and travel destination. Nominal regression was used to identify the way in which risk perception affected travel intentions during COVID-19 and the research findings indicate that Central Asian tourists' risk perception has done so. Hygiene, disinfection and a reliable health system in destinations (21%) will be leading factors in future travel.

Impact of covid-19 on the tourism industry of uzbekistan and state support during the pandemic

Tourism as an emerging sector in Uzbekistan has been facing consistent reforms since 2016, aiming to diversify business opportunities. But, the unexpected COVID-19 pandemic has disturbed the plans. This study is to understand the current situation of the tourism business suffering from the pandemic and discloses the priority needs of tourism entities to survive during the crises. A structured questionnaire consisting of 15 questions is used to assess the issues of interest. Two hundred seventy nine valid questionnaires collected from tourism stakeholders are analyzed. The study results reveal that business revenue shows a significant decline during the pandemic and stakeholders are expecting a short-term financial support from the government. The role of the government in terms of assisting the tourism industry to revive after the pandemic is critical. Further, it is necessary to build strong cooperation between governments and tourism establishments to cope with adverse consequences due to the pandemic. © 2022 by Emerald Publishing Limited All rights of reproduction in any form reserved.