Do Tourists Feel Fear of Travelling during the Post Covid-19? Analysis of Cautious Travel, SOP and Coping Problem Mechanisms in Malaysia

Abstract

Understanding people's travel fear of the pandemic is essential to helping the tourism business recover after the outbreak. Although a pandemic may cause psychological distress in visitors, little research has been conducted on cautious travel responses, travel fear, and compliance with standard operating procedures (SOP) in the aftermath of a pandemic. Since the first instances of Covid-19 transmission, international travel restrictions have been implemented to reduce the risk of infection. Since the outbreak spread through person-toperson contact, it has resulted in travel and mobility restrictions, community lockdowns, and people staying at home, devastatingly affecting tourism and hospitality. This study investigated the possibility of cautious travel and travel fear concerning an individual's travelrelated pressure when taking precautions such as following standard operating procedures (SOP) and avoiding crowds. The study utilised an online Google form questionnaire to conduct a public survey. The URL link was distributed across multiple social media platforms, including WhatsApp and Telegram groups, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, to reach a more geographically diverse audience. Respondents were chosen from those who answered "yes," i.e., those who travel interstate after October 2021, when restrictions on interstate travel were permitted. The results indicated that cautious travel positively correlates with destination crowd avoidance and SOP adherence. However, most participants did not fear travelling during the post-Covid-19. As demonstrated by the results, visitors' propensity to travel cautiously while adhering to SOPs is substantial. Traveling with caution has shown that following SOPs can reduce the risk of infection. Future studies should investigate the government's knowledge of proper planning in the tourism business. In addition, the variable for quality of psychological support must be considered so that tourists can comprehend what they are experiencing and learn how to manage their travel fear. Additionally, there should be health services available for vacationers so that they are more aware of the activities they are participating in while on vacation.