Has COVID-19 changed tourist destination choice?

Abstract

This study investigates changes in tourists' preferences for destination choice in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic using a scenario-based intertemporal hybrid choice model. The empirical results indicate that tourists emphasized medical services, hygiene conditions, and smart tourism when selecting tourist destinations during the pandemic but were more concerned with attractions and service quality when the pandemic eased. The preference structure at various stages of the pandemic differed greatly for tourists who strongly engaged in counterfactual thinking. Individuals who perceived increased risks tended to select alternative destinations to those they had previously visited. The results also show that tourist choice behavior in this context can be explained by reference dependence and loss aversion as underlined by prospect theory.