REIMAGINING TRAVEL INTENTIONS TO CHINA IN THE POST COVID-19 ERA: EXPLORING THE ROLE OF PERCEIVED SAFETY, ELECTRONIC WORD OF MOUTH AND DESTINATION IMAGE

Abstract

The past decade has seen the rapid proliferation of theory, literature, and research, in the field of tourism disaster and crisis management, however empirical studies linking Covid-19 to destination image are limited and have not been well understood. Nations are certainly gearing up to pursue various tourism recovery strategies in the hopes of tourism activity returning to normal. As informed by the S-O-R theory this study tests an empirical model that investigates the influence of Iranian’s perceived safety and electronic word of-mouth (eWOM) on destination image and travel intention to China in the post Covid-19 era. Data were obtained from a sample of 305 respondents in Shiraz, Iran. The findings revealed that perceived safety and eWOM were able to predict destination image which subsequently had a positive effect on intention to travel. Additionally, destination image significantly mediates the relationship between perceived safety, eWOM and behavioural intention. The study certainly adds to the dearth of literature pertaining to destination image and tourist behavioural intention in a post Covid-19 context from the lens of the SOR paradigm. The study confirms the validity and salience of the SOR framework as a theoretical cornerstone in uncovering tourist behaviours and responses; whose use within tourism related research is gaining traction.