Effect of Risk Perception and Anxiety on Travel Abroad during COVID-19: The Case of Bali

The huge negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the tourism industry around the world has been undeniable. Study regarding intention to behavior abroad among international tourists after COVID-19 is still limited. This research develops a conceptual framework that integrates risk perceptions and anxiety on travel intention of inbound tourists to Indonesia during COVID-19. A quantitative approach was selected and self-administrated questionnaires consisting of seven segments (physiological risk, psychological risk, financial risk, time risk, anxiety, intention to travel, and sociodemographic factors) were distributed to respondents in Bali, Indonesia. 487 valid questionnaires were collected from international tourists during their holiday in Bali. The data were analyzed by partial least squares–structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Most of the hypotheses were accepted. Furthermore, no significant effects of psychological and physiological risk on tourists’ intention to travel abroad were found. Several practical and theoretical implications for DMOs and marketers are discussed based on the findings.