The perception of risk by international travellers

Abstract

Purpose - This paper aims to investigate the perception of risk by international travellers. There are multiple risks facing tourism that contribute to the formation of perception of risk. It is necessary to identify the different types of risks that are perceived in tourist destinations. This paper suggests policies and techniques to mitigate the risk perceptions in tourism. Design/methodology/approach - A preliminary questionnaire survey was conducted to test the types of risks that are perceived in international destinations. The data were further analysed with factor analysis to measure the dimension of risk perceptions. Findings - The main results point to the existence of five types of risk affecting tourists during international travel: health risk, risk of suffering from crime and delinquency, accident risk, environmental risk and risk from disasters. Result shows that uncontrollable risks are perceived as more important than those which are more controllable. Originality/value - As the existing literature on perception of risk in tourism does not contain a substantially detailed discussion relating to types of risk in international destinations and its contribution to the formation of risk perceptions, this paper may contribute to a better understanding of risk perception. The results could assist in decision-making and have implications for the management of risks.