Muslim secular women’s solo travel intentions: the role of perceived travel risk, travel anxiety, and travel planning self-efficacy

This study examines psychological and urban barriers that limit the solo travel intentions of Muslim secular women in the context of urban tourism. The primary objective is to analyse the travel decisions of women residing in three major metropolises in Türkiye (İstanbul, Antalya, İzmir) using an integrated model of perceived travel risk, travel anxiety, travel planning self-efficacy, and solo travel intention, drawing on Protection Motivation Theory and Constraint-Negotiation Theory. Based on a vignette-based survey of 439 participants, the model reveals that perceived travel risk triggers travel anxiety, which directly and indirectly reduces solo travel intention. The findings substantiate that travel planning self-efficacy mitigates the constraining effects of both perceived travel risk and travel anxiety; furthermore, it exerts a buffering effect, attenuating the indirect pressure exerted by perceived travel risk through travel anxiety. Ultimately, by conceptualising metropolises as a ‘source market’ within the context of the Muslim secular women’s identity, this study introduces a distinctive spatial perspective. Theoretically, it models how the spiral of cognitive and emotional constraints is overcome through planning capacity. Practically, it develops visionary strategies, such as digital planning simulations and smart route assistants, to standardise urban safety.