The Role of Resilience, Risk Perception, Efficacy Belief on Protective Behaviours and Travel Intention During a Crisis

COVID-19 has caused an unparallelled crisis for the global tourism industry. This study examines the determinants of tourists’ intended self-protective behaviours and travel intentions during this crisis, drawing on Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) and psychological resilience. Additionally, reflective-formative hierarchical component models (HCMs) of risk perception, self-efficacy, and response efficacy are proposed for capturing their intricate and multifaceted nature. Empirical results indicate that self-efficacy strongly drives protective behaviours, while psychological resilience positively impacts travel intentions and moderates the effect of self-efficacy. Furthermore, the integration of Risk Homoeostasis Theory (RHT) with PMT sheds light on the role of descriptive norms in weakening the relationship between response efficacy and protective behaviours. The study provides an integrated theoretical framework explaining tourist behaviours during crisis.