Tourists' Perception of Destination, Destination Trust, Protection Effectiveness and Travel Intentions

Abstract

There are two main objectives of this study: (a) exploration of the main factors affecting tourist perception of destination during the post-pandemic period; and (b) examining the relationships among tourist perception of destinations, the protective effectiveness of COVID-19, destination trust, and tourist travel intentions during the post-pandemic period. The main survey participants of this study are mainland Chinese residents who live in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and who are willing to travel abroad in the post-pandemic period at the same time. The results from 414 returned questionnaires show that tourist perceptions of a destination in a post-pandemic period are affected by five dimensions: hospitality extended to them, impression of the community, effective pandemic information, any remaining travel restrictions, and rumor refutation. Moreover, tourist perception of destinations positively affects the effectiveness of protective measures against the COVID-19 pandemic and their trust in that destination.