INFLUENCE OF RISK PERCEPTION AND DESTINATION IMAGE ON ATTITUDE TOWARD BEHAVIOR AND DOMESTIC TRAVEL INTENTION POST-COVID-19 AMONG THAI TOURISTS IN THE EASTERN REGION

Abstract

This study aimed to 1) examine the relationships among key factors influencing Thai tourists’ attitudes and behavioral intentions toward domestic travel in Thailand’s Eastern region following the COVID-19 pandemic, and 2) analyze the causal relationships among perceived risk, destination image, attitude toward behavior, and behavioral intention in the post-pandemic context. Data were collected via an online questionnaire, yielding 898 valid responses from a targeted sample of 1,000 Thai tourists residing in the Eastern provinces (Chonburi, Rayong, Chanthaburi, Trat, Chachoengsao, Prachinburi, and Sa Kaeo), representing a 95% response rate. The sample size was determined based on 20 times the number of observed variables (47), in accordance with Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) guidelines. SEM analysis was conducted using LISREL, and the results indicated that the proposed causal model exhibited excellent fit with the empirical data (χ²/df = 2.77, GFI = 0.98, CFI = 0.99, NFI = 0.99, NNFI = 0.99, SRMR = 0.03, RMSEA = 0.04). Destination image emerged as a pivotal construct, significantly influenced by perceived risk (β = 0.62), and in turn exerting strong effects on both attitude toward behavior (β = 0.76) and travel intention (β = 0.62). The model explained a substantial proportion of variance in attitude toward behavior (R² = 0.73) and a moderate proportion in travel intention (R² = 0.39), underscoring its predictive strength in the post-COVID-19 tourism context. The findings underscore the mediating role of destination image in the relationship between perceived risk and Thai tourists’ attitudes and intentions toward domestic travel. This highlights the importance of managing destination perceptions to stimulate domestic tourism recovery in the post-pandemic era.