| Name: | Description: | Size: | Format: | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.17 MB | Adobe PDF |
Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
The unprecedented global health crisis caused by COVID-19 is undoubtedly having a
major impact on international tourism for two reasons. While the imposed travel restrictions have
discouraged people from traveling, travelers are struggling with growing anxiety in coping with the
new travel environment. We address the changing risk perceptions of travelers in the wake of the
COVID-19 pandemic. Our primary objective is to identify and weigh significant emerging travel
risks and develop a Risk Score Index to measure destination performance and strategic interventions
for South African travelers. In this case, we used MACBETH and web-Delphi to construct that index
with the help of 32 experts in the field. We found that the risks perceived by tourists are multifaceted
and encompass categories, such as additional costs, exchange rates, and reimbursement-related
factors. These three criteria are most important to the general perception of travel risk. We applied
the developed risk assessment index to five destinations to assess their performance relative to the
identified risks. The UK was the best-performing country.
Description
Keywords
traveling risks perception; COVID-19; multicriteria decision analysis; South Africa
Pedagogical Context
Citation
Plank, P.A.; Gomes, L.F.; Caldas, P.; Varela, M.; Ferreira, D.C. Assessing the Traveling Risks Perceived by South African Travelers during Pandemic Outbreaks: The Case of COVID-19. Sustainability 2023, 15, 9267. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/su15129267
Publisher
MDPI