Safe journeys, satisfied guests: differences across transport modes under pandemic conditions

The COVID-19 pandemic reshaped travel behavior, particularly travelers' transport choices and infection-prevention practices. This study investigated how these factors jointly influence service evaluations and overall trip satisfaction among Japanese domestic tourists. An online survey yielded 500 responses from visitors to Hakone; after excluding travelers who had no contact with hotel staff, the analytic sample comprised 341 respondents. Exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modeling results indicated that the risk perception of COVID-19 significantly predicted both avoidance-oriented and disinfection behaviors. Disinfection behavior positively influenced the perceived service attitude of hotel employees and overall travel satisfaction, while perceived service attitudes also strongly enhanced travel satisfaction. These findings highlight the critical role of visible infection control measures in enhancing tourist satisfaction and underscore the importance of integrating health-conscious practices into sustainable tourism management. Limitations include the cross-sectional, self-report design and possible bias from excluding guests without staff interaction; future studies should replicate the model in other contexts and track longitudinal effects on destination loyalty.