A typology of risk in vacation travel

Abstract

The goal of this research was to develop a better understanding of how risk attitudes influence vacation behavior. An exploratory field study was conducted to evaluate the risk attitude--vacation behavior relationship. A sample of residents in College Station, Texas completed a self-administered survey instrument that elicited general attitudes about risk, attitudes about risk in vacations and perceptions of risk associated with the most recently visited destination. Information that described the most recent vacation was also collected. Analysis of this information indicated that general attitudes about risk were not related to the more situationally specific risk attitudes concerning vacations and destinations. Further analysis identified three broad types of vacation-oriented risk attitudes. A majority of the respondents did not perceive much risk in vacation activities (the risk neutral group). A second group, representing about 21% of the sample, perceived risks related to physical danger and equipment problems (the functional risk group). A third group, representing about 9% of the respondents, viewed their destination as being riskier than vacations in general (the place risk group). The identified risk groups differed in several vacation behaviors. For example, individuals in both the place risk and functional risk groups were more likely to have used the home of friends or relatives as a source of accommodation or to have been on a repeat visit than were respondents in the risk neutral group. Members of the risk neutral group were more likely to have used travel experts when planning their trip or to have previously visited Europe or the Caribbean than respondents in either the place or functional risk groups. In summary, the results of this research indicated that understanding risk attitudes provided useful information about vacation behavior. Furthermore, risk handling strategies in vacations differed from those reported in the consumer behavior literature, indicating that a strong situational component influences the relationship between risk attitudes and behavior.