Travel-at-home: Paradoxical effects of a pandemic threat on domestic tourism
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Date
2022
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Elservier
Abstract
This study introduces the evolutionary concept of assortative sociality and explores how it moderates pandemic
anxiety effects on attitudes towards tourism and travel decisions. Based on a large-scale online survey (N = 4630)
conducted in three European countries, we demonstrate that COVID-19 anxiety triggered assortative sociality,
which reflects both xenophobic and ethnocentric traits. This changes perceptions of domestic and international
travel attractiveness, and further leads to travel choices prioritizing domestic destinations. At the same time,
xenophobic and ethnocentric traits also affected citizen attitudes towards supporting the domestic tourism industry ‒ an industry that accommodates foreigners. In conclusion, the paper discusses the seemingly paradoxical
effects of a pandemic threat on domestic versus international tourism.
Description
Tourism Management Volume 93, December 2022
Keywords
Travel anxiety,Assortative sociality,Ethnocentrism,Xenophobia,Support for tourism,Domestic travel