Water Sport Tourists’ Hesitation in Decision-Making during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Moderating Effect of Destination Image

Jeongmyeong Song, Myungkyu Jung, Kwangho Park and Ho Yeol Yu
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Jeongmyeong Song: Department of Sports Taekwondo, College of Physical Education, Kyung Hee University, Yongin-si 17104, Korea
Myungkyu Jung: Department of Taekwondo, Sehan University, Yeongam 1113, Korea
Kwangho Park: Dahl School of Business, Viterbo University, La Crosse, WI 54601, USA
Ho Yeol Yu: Department of Health, Physical Education & Sport Sciences, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR 72467, USA

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 8, 1-12

Abstract: Understanding the effect of risk factors on tourists’ hesitation in choosing a destination is vital for successful management in tourism, especially in the pandemic era. Based on protection motivation theory, this study investigated the impact of sport tourists’ perceived risk associated with COVID-19 on their hesitation to choose a tourist destination in the context of water sport tourism. Further, we examined whether the relationship changes according to the levels of tourists’ destination image. Data from a survey of water sport tourists ( n = 312) were analyzed using structural equation modeling and Hayes PROCESS macro with bootstrapping procedures. Findings of this research empirically demonstrated that risk factors influence hesitation in choosing a destination. Furthermore, the moderating effect of destination image on the influences of perceived risks on hesitation was identified. The study’s theoretical and practical contributions to the sport tourism literature are also discussed.

Keywords: sport tourism; hesitation; water sport; destination image (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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