Can mask mandates boost nature-based tourism? The role of escapism and travel anxiety

Tourism in a post-pandemic era will likely be oriented toward nature because contact with nature has restorative health benefits. The purpose of this study was to analyze the antecedents of tourists' intentions to visit nature-based resorts during a pandemic. A nationally representative sample...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2023-02, Vol.18 (2), p.e0280489
Main Authors: Paredes, Mario R, Apaolaza, Vanessa, Hartmann, Patrick, Marcos, Aitor, García-Merino, Jose Domingo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anxiety
Biology and Life Sciences
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
Ecotourism
Epidemics
Health risks
Humans
Masks
Medicine and Health Sciences
Pandemics
Safety and security measures
Social Sciences
Spain
Tourism
Tourists
Travel
Travel industry
Travelers
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Summary:Tourism in a post-pandemic era will likely be oriented toward nature because contact with nature has restorative health benefits. The purpose of this study was to analyze the antecedents of tourists' intentions to visit nature-based resorts during a pandemic. A nationally representative sample of the Spanish population (n = 500) was recruited by an online commercial panel to test and empirically validate the proposed conceptual framework. The findings confirmed a direct relationship between negative perceptions of wearing face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic and tourists' intentions to visit nature-based resorts. The relationship between the perceived negative effects of wearing face masks and the intention to visit nature-based resorts was positively mediated by the need for escapism. This impact was less pronounced for anxious travelers, as shown by results corroborating the moderating effect of travel anxiety. The findings of this study contribute to research on tourism crises and provide future insights into the recovery of the industry during COVID-19.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0280489