COVID-19 effects on travel choices under climate risks

Abstract

This article analyses the impact of COVID-19 on travel behaviour by measuring changes in the utility of visiting destinations threatened by climate change. A choice experiment was conducted before and after the outbreak. The model was empirically investigated with 6900 individuals interviewed at origin countries as potential travellers to 11 destinations with different levels of damage. Data from the two waves of surveys show a shift in preferences toward travelling at lower prices, greater sensitivity to new infectious disease episodes and forest fires, and a downward effect on the value of other environmental features that may be more affected after the pandemic. The results support the ‘finite-pool-of-worry’ hypothesis over the alternative ‘affect-generalisation’ hypothesis. The implications of the shift in travellers' environmental sensitivities are discussed.