Assessment of the Relationship Between Perceived Safety At a Vacation Site and Destination Choice Decisions: Extending the Behavioral Decision-Making Model

Abstract

This study examined the effect of perceived safety at a potential vacation destination on the reported likelihood of travel to that destination for potential travelers. Data were collected from a sample of college students and analyzed to determine if site choice was influenced by varying levels of perceived safety of the site. According to the results of the study, it appears that destination marketers, travel agencies, and the hospitality industry should be concerned with improving their images when those images are negative with regards to safety, but otherwise are unlikely to greatly alter an individual's likelihood of traveling to that destination by stressing high safety levels. Some marketing and policy strategies are suggested.