Author Bios (50 Words for each Author)

Xiaoxu Wang is a Ph.D. student and teaching assistant in the department of Recreation, Park & Tourism Science at Texas A&M University. Her research interests focus on tourism marketing, traveler behaviors, and neuroscience in the tourism context.

Jim Petrick is a Full Professor, Research Fellow, and the Associate Department Head for Research in the Department of RPTS at Texas A&M University. His research interest focuses on applying marketing and psychology principles in the context of tourism services.

Abstract (150 Words)

With the pandemic still intact, understanding how COVID-19 affects traveler behaviors may be critical to the tourism industry. While much research has been conducted related to COVID-19’s impact on travel, little research has examined the underlying determinants of changes in behavior, and whether these changes will continue over time. This qualitative study was grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), Plog's travel model, and the concept of constraint negotiation, to better understand the impact of COVID-19 on travel behavior through in-depth interviews. Preliminary results found that travelers' attitudes, social norms, and perceived behavioral control were influenced by COVID-19, and the degree of influence may be related to their tendency toward being allocentric or psychocentric. Travelers' ability to negotiate constraints was also found to be related to their attitudes, which extends the theory of TPB. This study also provides suggestions for tourism companies’ marketing strategies post-pandemic.

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Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior to Understand Traveler Behavior Affected by COVID-19: A Qualitative Study

With the pandemic still intact, understanding how COVID-19 affects traveler behaviors may be critical to the tourism industry. While much research has been conducted related to COVID-19’s impact on travel, little research has examined the underlying determinants of changes in behavior, and whether these changes will continue over time. This qualitative study was grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), Plog's travel model, and the concept of constraint negotiation, to better understand the impact of COVID-19 on travel behavior through in-depth interviews. Preliminary results found that travelers' attitudes, social norms, and perceived behavioral control were influenced by COVID-19, and the degree of influence may be related to their tendency toward being allocentric or psychocentric. Travelers' ability to negotiate constraints was also found to be related to their attitudes, which extends the theory of TPB. This study also provides suggestions for tourism companies’ marketing strategies post-pandemic.