Travel intentions in pandemic circumstances – the case of Balkan tourists

ABSTRACT

Examination of tourist behaviour during and after the crisis is of great importance for understanding and coping with the harmful effects of the crisis. The study aims to discover the impact of perceived risks, health status, and travel experience on proximal travel intentions during the Covid-19 outbreak. Perceived risks that coronavirus brought reshaped the collective awareness and altered typical travel habits. The research involved 1109 respondents from four Balkan countries who participated in an online survey at the first peak of the pandemic (April 2020). According to the results, perceived risk negatively influenced travel intentions. The study presumed the positive influence of previous travel experience on travel intentions and indicated its negative impact on risk perception. Results showed that subjective health condition positively affected travel intention and had no significant effect on risk perception. The profound uncertainty that the tourism sector experienced is primarily reflected in an immense impact on the travel possibilities and changes in tourist preferences. This study offers an insight into peoples' travel intentions influenced by a global health crisis, reflecting specific risk negation when it comes to the timing of after-crisis travel plans.