Despite an uncertain timeline, it is believed that consumers will regain confidence, and the travel demand should rebound after restrictions are lifted. This study aims to improve Canada’s preparedness to rejuvenate the economy in public health crises by understanding how potential tourists acquire knowledge using the cognitive mediation model (CMM). We examined the impact of media motivations (i.e., surveillance gratification and anticipated interaction) in predicting two types of subjective knowledge (i.e., pandemic knowledge and travel health knowledge) through the mediation of media attention and elaboration, using structural equation modelling (SEM). Study results supported all hypotheses except for the relationships between surveillance gratification and media attention, and media attention and travel health knowledge. Elaboration had the most significant total effects in predicting the two types of knowledge. This study is among the first to apply CMM in the tourism context and provides implications for DMOs and the government to understand the mechanism of Canadians’ travel decisions influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic from the health communication perspective.