Health safety measures of the host destination: A new perception of tourists in destination attractiveness
Vol 9, Issue 5, 2024, Article identifier:
VIEWS - 418 (Abstract) 209 (PDF)
Abstract
The aims of this study are to analyze the tourists’ perceptions about the impact of factors affecting destination attractiveness on the tourists’ satisfaction level after a major shift in the tourism industry due to the recent COVID-19. The second is to assess the tourists’ perceptions about the new health safety measures or potential of virtual tourism in tourist destinations. The researchers have investigated tourists’ perceptions after this pandemic period using a sample of 417 tourists visiting 5 major tourist spots in Uttarakhand namely Almora, Nainital, Dehradun, Haridwar, and Rishikesh. The judgmental sampling design is used in the study. Descriptive statistics and SEM (structural equation modelling) techniques are used for data analysis. The findings of the study entail that health safety has been marked as an important attribute for tourism destination selection for many tourists due to the COVID-19. As COVID-19 has emphasized the tourist destination stakeholders to follow the safety measure and health protocols to reset the tourism industry and tackle the health crisis, hence improving health safety and building travelers’ confidence is the immediate challenge that needs to tackle first. Findings also show the potential of virtual tourism as a new market that needs to be tapped by the host stakeholders.
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
1. European Council of the European Union. COVID-19: the EU’s public health response (Romanian). 2021. https://www.consilium.europa.eu/ro/policies/coronavirus/covid-19-public-health/
2. Walmsley T, Rose A, Wei D. The Impacts of the Coronavirus on the Economy of the United States. Economics of Disasters and Climate Change. 2020, 5(1): 1–52. doi: 10.1007/s41885-020-00080-1
3. Goodrich JN. September 11, 2001 Attack on America: Impact on Tourism Security. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing. 2002, 11(4): 1–12. doi: 10.1300/j073v11n04_01
4. McKercher B, Chon K. The Over-Reaction to SARS and the Collapse of Asian Tourism. Annals of Tourism Research. 2004, 31(3): 716–719. doi: 10.1016/j.annals.2003.11.002
5. Schmude J, Karl M, Weber F. Tourism and Terrorism: Economic impact of terrorist attacks on the tourism industry. The example of the destination of Paris. Zeitschrift für Wirtschaftsgeographie. 2019, 64(2): 88–102. doi: 10.1515/zfw-2019-0015
6. UNWTO. International Tourism Decline and Its Impact on the Poor. World Tourism Organization and International Labour Organization Economic Crisis. UNWTO. 2013.
7. Ceylan RF, Ozkan B, Mulazimogullari E. Historical evidence for economic effects of COVID-19. Eur J Health Econ. 2020;21(6):817–823. doi:10.1007/s10198-020-01206-8
8. Acevedo-Duque Á, Prado-Sabido T, Gomes Ramires T, et al. New Year’s Eve Show: An Opportunity to Further Develop Sustainable Local Tourism in Chile. Sustainability. 2022;14(7):3962. doi:10.3390/su14073962
9. UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. Available online: https://doi.org/10.18111/wtobarometereng (accessed on 1 December 2023).
10. Sigala M. Tourism and COVID-19: Impacts and implications for advancing and resetting industry and research. Journal of Business Research. 2020; 117:312–321. doi: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.06.015
11. Carlsson-Szlezak P, Reeves M, Swartz P. What coronavirus could mean for the global economy. Harv. Bus. Rev., 2020. 3: 1–10.
12. Fuchs C. Everyday Life and Everyday Communication in Coronavirus Capitalism. tripleC. 2020;18(1):375–398. doi:10.31269/triplec.v18i1.1167
13. Ötsch W. What Type of Crisis Is This? The Coronavirus Crisis as a Crisis of the Econom-icised Society. Working Paper Serie (No. 57). Available online: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/216728, 2022 (accessed on 1 December 2023).
14. Lehto XY, Lehto MR. Vacation as a Public Health Resource: Toward a Wellness-Centered Tourism Design Approach. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research. 2019;43(7):935–960. doi: 10.1177/1096348019849684
15. Nicola M, Alsafi Z, Sohrabi C, et al. The socio-economic implications of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19): A review. International Journal of Surgery. 2020; 78: 185–193. doi: 10.1016/j.ijsu.2020.04.018
16. Cretu CM, Turtureanu AG, Sirbu CG, et al. Tourists’ Perceptions Regarding Traveling for Recreational or Leisure Purposes in Times of Health Crisis. Sustainability. 2021;13(15):8405. doi:10.3390/su13158405
17. Wang S, Lai IKW, Wong JWC. An Exploratory Study of Pandemic-Restricted Travel—A New Form of Travel Pattern on the during- and Post-COVID-19 Era. IJERPH. 2022;19(7):4149. doi:10.3390/ijerph19074149
18. Bratić M, Radivojević A, Stojiljković N, et al. Should I Stay or Should I Go? Tourists’ COVID-19 Risk Perception and Vacation Behavior Shift. Sustainability. 2021;13(6):3573. doi:10.3390/su13063573
19. Hu Y, Ritchie JRB. Measuring Destination Attractiveness: A Contextual Approach. Journal of Travel Research. 1993;32(2):25–34. doi:10.1177/004728759303200204
20. Klufová R. Destination attractiveness of the South Bohemian region from the viewpoint of spatial data analysis. The Central European Journal of Regional Development and Tourism. 2016;8(1):92–111. doi:10.32725/det.2016.007
21. Edward M, George PB. Destination attractiveness of Kerala as an International Tourist Destination: An Importance-Performance Analysis. In: Conference on Tourism in India-Challenges Ahead, IIMK, 2008.
22. Formica S. Measuring destination attractiveness: A proposed framework. Journal of American Academy of Business 2002; 1(2), 350–355.
23. Vengesayi S, Mavondo FT, Reisinger Y. Tourism Destination Attractiveness: Attractions, Facilities, and People as Predictors. Tourism Analysis. 2009;14(5):621–636. doi:10.3727/108354209x12597959359211
24. Lee CF, Ou WM, Huang HI. A Study of Destination Attractiveness through Domestic Visitors’ Perspectives: The Case of Taiwan’s Hot Springs Tourism Sector. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research. 2009;14(1):17–38. doi:10.1080/10941660902727991
25. Roy B, Saxena A. Destination competitiveness, tourism facilities and problems in promoting Uttarakhand as a tourism destination. Journal of Tourism, Hospitality & Culi-nary Arts (JTHCA) 2020. 12(2): 1–20.
26. Kim SS, Lee CK. Push and Pull Relationships. Annals of Tourism Research. 2002, 29(1): 257–260. doi: 10.1016/s0160-7383(01)00043-3
27. Chuang YF, Hwang SN, Wong JY, Chen CD. The attractiveness of tourist night markets in Taiwan—a supply-side view. International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research. 2014;8(3):333–344. doi:10.1108/ijcthr-09-2013-0067
28. Gannon MJ, Baxter IWF, Collinson E, et al. Travelling for Umrah: destination attributes, destination image, and post-travel intentions. The Service Industries Journal. 2017;37(7-8):448–465. doi:10.1080/02642069.2017.1333601
29. Kresic D, Darko Prebezac D. Index of destination attractiveness as a tool for destination attractiveness assessment. Original Scientific Papep, 2011. 59(4): 497–517.
30. Cracolici MF, Nijkamp P. The attractiveness and competitiveness of tourist destinations: A study of Southern Italian regions. Tourism Management. 2009; 30(3): 336–344. doi: 10.1016/j.tourman.2008.07.006
31. Acevedo-Duque Á, Gonzalez-Diaz R, Vega-Muñoz A, Fernández Mantilla MM, Ovalles-Toledo LV, Cachicatari-Vargas E. The Role of B Companies in Tourism towards Recovery from the Crisis COVID-19 Inculcating Social Values and Responsible Entrepreneurship in Latin America. Sustainability. 2021; 13(14): 7763. doi:10.3390/su13147763
32. Ariya G, Wishitemi B, Sitati N. Tourism Destination Attractiveness as Perceived by Tourists Visiting Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya. International Journal of Research in Tourism and Hospitality. 2017; 3(4). doi:10.20431/2455-0043.0304001
33. Amalia R, Pérez-Nebra, Cláudio VT. Measuring the tourism destination image: a survey based on the item response theory. RAC—Revista de Administração Contem-porânea Journal of Contemporary Administration, ANPAD—Associação Nacional de Pós-Graduação e Pesquisa em Administração. 2010; 14(1): 80–99.
34. Laws E. Tourism destination management: Issues, analysis and policies. Routledge; 1995.
35. Masiero L, Nicolau JL. Tourism Market Segmentation Based on Price Sensitivity. Journal of Travel Research. 2011;51(4):426–435. doi:10.1177/0047287511426339
36. Agrusa J, Kim SS, Wang KC. Mainland Chinese Tourists to Hawaii: Their Characteristics and Preferences. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing. 2011; 28(3): 261–278. doi:10.1080/10548408.2011.562853
37. Alegre J, Mateo S, Pou L. A latent class approach to tourists’ length of stay. Tourism Management. 2011;32(3):555–563. doi:10.1016/j.tourman.2010.05.003
38. Alegre J, Mateo S, Pou L. A latent class approach to tourists’ length of stay. Tourism Management. 2011, 32(3): 555–563. doi: 10.1016/j.tourman.2010.05.003
39. Tkaczynski A, Rundle-Thiele SR, Prebensen NK. Segmenting Potential Nature-Based Tourists Based on Temporal Factors. Journal of Travel Research. 2013; 54(2): 251–265. doi: 10.1177/0047287513514296
40. Gertner RK, Freire J. The sun and beach myth: The impact of pull-based factors and’things-to-do’on tourists’ motivations andplace images. International Journal of Leisure and Tourism Marketing. 2019; 6(3/4): 194. doi: 10.1504/ijltm.2019.103547
41. Perpiña L, Prats L, Camprubí R. Image and risk perceptions: an integrated approach. Current Issues in Tourism. 2020, 24(3): 367–384. doi: 10.1080/13683500.2020.1715355
42. Untaru EN, Han H. Protective measures against COVID-19 and the business strategies of the retail enterprises: Differences in gender, age, education, and income among shoppers. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services. 2021, 60: 102446. doi: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2021.102446
43. Cameron L, Shah M. Risk-Taking Behavior in the Wake of Natural Disasters. Journal of Human Resources. 2015, 50(2): 484–515. doi: 10.3368/jhr.50.2.484
44. Camarinha-Matos LM, Afsarmanesh H. Collaborative networks: Reference modeling. MA: Springer US; 2008.
45. Maymand MM. Investigation of the key success factors in Virtual Tourism. Indian Journal of Science and Technology. 2012, 5(7): 1–8. doi: 10.17485/ijst/2012/v5i7.26
46. Buhalis D, Law R. Progress in information technology and tourism management: 20 years on and 10 years after the Internet—The state of eTourism research. Tourism Management. 2008, 29(4): 609–623. doi: 10.1016/j.tourman.2008.01.005
47. Papson S. Spuriousness and tourism. Annals of Tourism Research. 1981, 8(2): 220–235. doi: 10.1016/0160-7383(81)90083-9
48. Williams P, Hobson JP. Virtual reality and tourism: fact or fantasy? Tourism Management. 1995, 16(6): 423–427. doi: 10.1016/0261-5177(95)00050-x
49. Huh C, Singh AJ. Families Travelling with a Disabled Member: Analysing the Potential of an Emerging Niche Market Segment. Tourism and Hospitality Research. 2007, 7(3-4): 212–229. doi: 10.1057/palgrave.thr.6050044
50. Cheong R. The virtual threat to travel and tourism. Tourism Management. 1995, 16(6): 417–422. doi: 10.1016/0261-5177(95)00049-t
51. Paquet E, Viktor HL. Long-term preservation of 3-D cultural heritage data related to architectural sites. Proceedings of the ISPRS Working Group. 2005. 4: 1–8.
52. Guttentag DA. Virtual reality: Applications and implications for tourism. Tourism Management. 2010, 31(5): 637–651. doi: 10.1016/j.tourman.2009.07.003
53. Olson J, Dover P. Effects of expectation creation and disconfirmation on belief elements of cognitive structure. In ACR North American Advances; NA-Advances in Consumer Research. 1976. 3: 168–175.
54. Wang C, Qu H, Hsu MK. Toward an integrated model of tourist expectation formation and gender difference. Tourism Management. 2016, 54: 58–71. doi: 10.1016/j.tourman.2015.10.009
55. Kim K, Hallab Z, Kim JN. The Moderating Effect of Travel Experience in a Destination on the Relationship Between the Destination Image and the Intention to Revisit. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management. 2012, 21(5): 486–505. doi: 10.1080/19368623.2012.626745
56. Tsaur SH, Lin YC, Lin JH. Evaluating ecotourism sustainability from the integrated perspective of resource, community and tourism. Tourism Management. 2006, 27(4): 640–653. doi: 10.1016/j.tourman.2005.02.006
57. Alahakoon T, Pike S, Beatson A. Transformative destination attractiveness: an exploration of salient attributes, consequences, and personal values. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing. 2021, 38(8): 845–866. doi: 10.1080/10548408.2021.1925616
58. Li X, Gong J, Gao B, et al. Impacts of COVID-19 on tourists’ destination preferences: Evidence from China. Annals of Tourism Research. 2021, 90: 103258. doi: 10.1016/j.annals.2021.103258
59. Acevedo-Duque Á, Vega-Muñoz A, Salazar-Sepúlveda G. Analysis of Hospitality, Leisure, and Tourism Studies in Chile. Sustainability. 2020, 12(18): 7238. doi: 10.3390/su12187238
60. Bhatia A, Roy B, Kumar A. A review of tourism sustainability in the era of Covid-19. Journal of Statistics and Management Systems. 2022, 25(8): 1871–1888. doi: 10.1080/09720510.2021.1995196
61. Rasoolimanesh SM, Seyfi S, Rastegar R, et al. Destination image during the COVID-19 pandemic and future travel behavior: The moderating role of past experience. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management. 2021, 21: 100620. doi: 10.1016/j.jdmm.2021.100620
62. Haro R. Sustainable Trends: Key Factors for the Post-Pandemic Recovery of the Tourism Sector. Alandis Travel, Spain, 2022.
63. Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Government of Uttarakhand. Uttarakhand Economic Survey 2020–2021. Volume-II. Govt. of Uttarakhand, Dehradun, Uttarkhand, 2021.
64. Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of Uttarakhand. Market Research and Statistics. Tourism department, 2023. Available online: https://uttarakhandtourism.gov.in/document/type/market-research-and-statistics [accessed on 4 December 2023].
65. Formica S, Uysal M. Destination Attractiveness Based on Supply and Demand Evaluations: An Analytical Framework. Journal of Travel Research. 2006, 44(4): 418–430. doi: 10.1177/0047287506286714
66. Vinayek P, Bhatia ANM. Competitiveness of Indian tourism in global scenario. ACADEMICIA: An International Multidisciplinary Research Journal. 2013. 3(1): 168–179.
67. Pizam A, Neumann Y, Reichel A. Dimentions of tourist satisfaction with a destination area. Annals of Tourism Research. 1978, 5(3): 314–322. doi: 10.1016/0160-7383(78)90115-9
68. Jenkins OH. Understanding and measuring tourist destination images. International Journal of Tourism Research. 1999, 1(1): 1–15. doi: 10.1002/(sici)1522–1970(199901/02)1: 1<1: aid-jtr143>3.0.co, 2-l
69. Kansal P, Walia S. Marketing Woes of Foreign Tourist Segment in Goa: A Study into Satisfaction Discriminators. Scholarly Research Journal for Interdisciplinary Studies. 2017, 4(36). doi: 10.21922/srjis.v4i36.10029
70. Perry Hobson JS, Williams AP. Virtual reality: A new horizon for the tourism industry. Journal of Vacation Marketing. 1995, 1(2): 124–135. doi: 10.1177/135676679500100202
71. Singh R, Mehraj N. Destination brand experience and its relationship with tourists satisfaction and intention to recommend: A conceptual model. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure. 2018. 7(1): 1–13.
72. Saha S, Joshi YC. Measuring Mobile Service Satisfaction: Factor Analysis Based Study on Mobile Users of Gujarat. International Journal of Basic Sciences and Applied Computing. 2019, 2(8): 10–16. doi: 10.35940/ijbsac.h0106.072819
73. Vince J. Introduction to Virtual Reality. Springer London, 2004. doi: 10.1007/978-0-85729-386-2
74. Vinh TT, Phuong TTK. Examining the interrelationships among destination brand image, destination perceived quality, tourist satisfaction and tourist loyalty: evidence from Danang City, Vietnam. International Journal of Tourism Policy. 2017, 7(4): 352. doi: 10.1504/ijtp.2017.088299
75. Bagri S, Kala D. Tourists’ satisfaction at Trijuginarayan: An emerging spiritual and adventure tourist destination in Garhwal Himalaya India. Turizam. 2015, 19(4): 165–182. doi: 10.5937/turizam1504165b
76. Roy B, Bhatia A, Maitra R. Transformation in Destination Attractiveness Attributes after Covid 19 Pandemic: A Review. Atna Journal of Tourism Studies. 2023, 18(2). doi: 10.12727/ajts.30.5
77. Tam BT. Application of contextual approach for measuring tourism destination attractiveness. Journal of Science 2012. 70(1): 217–226.
78. Cho V. Linking Location Attractiveness and Tourist Intention. Tourism and Hospitality Research. 2008, 8(3): 220–224. doi: 10.1057/thr.2008.20
79. Babić HV, Mehic E, Kramo A, Resic E. Tourist destination image and perception: The case of Bosnia and Herzegovina, An enterprise Odyssey. In: International Conference Proceedings; 11–14 June 2008; Zagreb.
80. Beerli A, Martín JD. Factors influencing destination image. Annals of Tourism Research. 2004, 31(3): 657–681. doi: 10.1016/j.annals.2004.01.010
DOI: https://doi.org/10.54517/esp.v9i5.1976
(418 Abstract Views, 209 PDF Downloads)
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2024 Bindu Roy, Millo Yaja, Anuj Kumar
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/