Heterogeneity in risk and safety perceptions of international tourists

Abstract

h i g h l i g h t s < We did a data-driven segmentation study about tourists' perceived risks. < There is heterogeneity among tourists in their behaviors and risk perceptions. < International tourists can be segmented in 7 distinct clusters. < The clusters differ in amounts and types of risk perceptions.

Tourism at Risk: A Review of Risk and Perceived Risk in Tourism

“…As presented in Table 4, nationality and past experience were found to be the most significant factors shaping tourists' risk perception. A substantial number of past studies adopted Hofstede's (2001) five cultural dimensions to examine the causal linkages between risk attitudes and social norms in different countries (George, 2010;Korstanje, 2009;Kozak et al, 2007;Quintal et al, 2010;Reisinger & Mavondo, 2005;Seabra, Dolnicar, Abrantes, & Kastenholz, 2013). Socio-demographic factor is another popular dimension in examining the underlying factors of tourists' risk perception (Aschauer, 2010;Chang, 2010;Sönmez & Graefe, 1998b;Williams & Baláž, 2013).…”

“…Socio-demographic factor is another popular dimension in examining the underlying factors of tourists' risk perception (Aschauer, 2010;Chang, 2010;Sönmez & Graefe, 1998b;Williams & Baláž, 2013). It is reasonable to postulate that even from the same nation or age group, tourists are heterogeneous in terms of their risk perception (Seabra et al, 2013). Some people prefer packaged tours, whereas others prefer offbeat travel experience.…”

“…Thus, it is essential to examine risk perception at the micro level, which is at the individual level. Back in the 1970s, Cohen's (1972) classic work, Toward a Sociology of International Tourism, proposed a multidisciplinary model that links sociology to the realm of psychology where it categorizes tourists into four distinctive roles based on the individual's preference of novelty or familiarity: organized mass tourist, independent mass tourist, drifter, and explorer (Aschauer, 2010;Lepp & Gibson, 2003;Reisinger & Mavondo, 2005;Seabra et al, 2013;Williams & Baláž, 2013). Lepp and Gibson (2003) were the first to systematically investigate the influence of tourist role and their preference for novelty or familiarity on risk perception.…”

Perceptual Image of Conflict-ridden Destinations: An EEG and Eye Tracker Analysis

“…In general, most holidays involve encounters with the unknown in terms of destinations, accommodation, and transport (Witt and Moutinho, 1995;Simpson and Siguaw, 2008;Fuchs and Reichel, 2011;Fuchs, 2013). The specific service features such as intangibility, inseparability, variability and perishability tend to increase the perception of risk as they may pose additional threats to tourists (Grönroos, 1990, Grönroos, 2007, Lovelock and Wirtz, 2007Zeithaml et al;2006;Seabra et al, 2013). Besides, tourists may also take further risks by participating in extreme sports and risky recreational activities, in which risk can be a vital component of creating memorable and satisfying experiences (Piekarz et al, 2015).…”

“…There have been numerous studies to explore tourists' perception of risk (Verhage et al, 1990;Pizam and Mansfield, 1996;Dolnicar, 2005;Fuchs and Reichel, 2011;Björk and Kauppinen-Räisänen, 2012;Seabra et al, 2013;Bellhassen et al, 2014). Terrorism and socio-cultural risk appear to be the most significant predictors of risk perception and travel anxiety (Hall, 2002;Lean and Smyth, 2009;Hall, 2010;Fuchs and Reichel, 2011;Ozcan and Erdogan, 2015).…”