The Relative Risk Perception of Travel Hazards

Abstract

Travelers have to take into consideration a variety of hazards when deciding on a destination. Although some research has considered the deterrent effect of specific hazards such as terrorism, the context in relation to other hazards has not been investigated. The purpose of this research was to investigate the relative importance of a number of travel hazards that may influence people's travel decisions. A sample of 160 British university students, 37 nonstudent scuba divers, and 102 members of the public rated the risk of various travel hazards and whether these would deter them from traveling. Three types of travel hazards were identified using Smallest Space Analysis (SSA): political, social, and physical hazards. These were moderately correlated, but the greatest deterrence was reported for political hazards. It is concluded that although research should take account of the full context influencing travel decisions, some hazards, such as terrorism, are likely to have a dominant effect.