The Effect of Perceived Susceptibility of COVID-19 on Health Risk Perception, Risk Aversion and Travel Intentions: The Moderating Effects of Trust in Government

Abstract: This study examined the relationship between perceived COVID-19 susceptibility, health risk perception, risk avoidance, and travel intentions, and explored the moderating role of government trust. The study data were collected through both Tencent Questionnaire (113) and field research (507) methods. The results showed that perceived susceptibility significantly influenced health risk perception and risk avoidance, which in turn significantly influenced travel intentions. Health risk perception and risk aversion partially mediated the effect of perceived susceptibility on travel intentions, respectively, and the chain mediation relationship between them was supported. Government trust had a significant moderating effect between perceived susceptibility affecting health risk perception, and health risk perception and travel intentions. This study provides new insights into the factors influencing tourists' travel intentions in a global public health context and contributes to the recovery of the tourism economy and the development of marketing strategies for destinations in the post-pandemic era.