Effect of Risk Perception and Solidarity Attitudes on the Image of Post-Disaster Destinations in Mexico and Intention to Visit

Ariadna Nicole Tovar-Perpuli, Edgar Rojas-Rivas (), Laura Eugenia Tovar-Bustamante, Ismael Colín-Mar and Jazmín Zaragoza-Alonso
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Ariadna Nicole Tovar-Perpuli: Hotel and Restaurant Management Program, Universidad de las Américas Puebla, San Andrés Cholula, Puebla 72810, Mexico
Edgar Rojas-Rivas: Department of Tourism, School of Business and Economics, Universidad de las Américas Puebla, San Andrés Cholula, Puebla 72810, Mexico
Laura Eugenia Tovar-Bustamante: Doctorado Internacional en Turismo, Universidad Anahuac Campus Norte, Mexico City 52786, Mexico
Ismael Colín-Mar: Faculty of Political and Social Sciences, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Toluca 50100, Mexico
Jazmín Zaragoza-Alonso: Doctorado en Ciencias Ambientales, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla 72570, Mexico

Tourism and Hospitality, 2025, vol. 6, issue 2, 1-24

Abstract: Natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, or tsunamis can significantly affect the image of tourist destinations and the intention to visit them. However, research on the effects of natural disasters and their impact in destinations in Mexico is an under-researched topic. Moreover, attitudes and behaviors of solidarity are important for recovery of destinations after natural disasters. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine how people’s perceived risk and solidarity attitudes affect the image and intention to visit destinations after natural disasters in the country. Through a structured questionnaire (n = 228), the risk perception, solidarity attitudes, destination image, and intention to visit were measured to assess interest in visiting the emblematic destination of Acapulco, Mexico, which was devastated by Hurricane Otis (category 5) in October 2023. The results show that risk perception does not affect destination image and solidarity attitudes, but it does affect the intention to visit the destination (β = −0.120). The main findings of this study establish the strong influence of solidarity attitudes on the image (β = 0.611) of the destination and the intention to visit (β = 0.581). The results state that destination image had a mediating effect (β = 0.240) on solidarity attitudes and intention to visit post-disaster destinations. Therefore, destination image has a fundamental effect on the formation of attitudes of solidarity for the recovery of destinations after a natural disaster. Solidarity attitudes are of great importance for the destination’s recovery after natural disasters. It is important to prioritize marketing campaigns that recognize these actions of solidarity, on the part of destination management organizations (DMOs) and local governments.

Keywords: post-disaster destinations; risk perception; solidarity attitudes; structural equation modeling; Mexico (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Z3 Z30 Z31 Z32 Z33 Z38 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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