Current Issues in Tourism

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Visit intention and destination image in post-

Covid-19 crisis recovery

Albattat Ahmad, Azizul Jamaludin, Nini Shaliza Mohd Zuraimi & Marco Valeri

To cite this article: Albattat Ahmad, Azizul Jamaludin, Nini Shaliza Mohd Zuraimi & Marco Valeri
(2021) Visit intention and destination image in post-Covid-19 crisis recovery, Current Issues in
Tourism, 24:17, 2392-2397, DOI: 10.1080/13683500.2020.1842342

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2020.1842342

Published online: 11 Nov 2020.

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CURRENT ISSUES IN TOURISM
2021, VOL. 24, NO. 17, 2392–2397
https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2020.1842342

RESEARCH LETTER

Visit intention and destination image in post-Covid-19 crisis

recovery
Albattat Ahmad a, Azizul Jamaludin b
, Nini Shaliza Mohd Zuraimi b
and
Marco Valeri c,d
a
Postgraduate Centre, Management and Science University, University Drive, Selangor, Malaysia; bSchool
of Hospitality and Creative Arts, Management and Science University, University Drive, Selangor, Malaysia;
c
Knowledge Management, NCI University, London, UK; dOrganizational Behaviour, Faculty of Economics, Niccolò
Cusano University, Rome, Italy

ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY

The aim of this research is to analyze the factors influencing visit intention Received 2 September 2020
and destination image in post-Covid-19 crisis recovery. In post-crisis Accepted 16 October 2020
recovery, the factors influencing visit intention are physical, socio-
KEYWORDS
psychological and financial factors. A total of 426 respondents were Crisis recovery; crisis
selected and analyzed using correlation and multiple regression management; change
analyses. The findings demonstrate that physical factors are the main management; destination
factors that influence tourists’ visit intention. Additionally, destination image; travel motivation;
image significantly affects visit intention and significantly mediates the visit intention; Covid-19
relationship between the factors and visit intention. All this inevitably pandemic
affects the organizational structure of the tourist destination.

Introduction and framework

Traveller inspiration can be characterized as the worldwide coordinated system of natural and social
powers that provides worth and guidance for travel decisions, conduct, and experience (Björk & Kaup-
pinen-Räisänen, 2019). Travel inspiration has reliably been a basic factor in the tourism business
(Arcese et al., 2020; Elmo et al., 2020). Travel motivation is related to many necessities that make a tra-
veller decide to participate in the tourism industry. Travel inspiration is uncertain and subject to
change because of envisioned and inconsistent internal and external events such as emergencies, cat-
astrophes (Butowski, 2017; Masiero et al., 2015; Stylidis, 2015; Chemli et al., 2020). Based on the theory
of planned behaviour (Ajzen, 1991), travellers’ expectations depend on internal or external variables
that impact their movement inspiration when visiting (Garg, 2018; Lopes, 2011; Lu et al., 2018;
Sigala, 2020; Wong & Li, 2015). Malaysia’s tourism industry has experienced difficulty owing to a
decline in traveller appearances, especially in Asian and European tourists, from 2014 to 2019. Analysis
shows that traveller appearances initially decreased from 26.76 million in 2016 to 25.95 million in 2017
and then continued to fall to 25.83 million in 2019. Travellers from European nations decreased from 1
million in 2015 to 987.2 thousand in 2017 and then increased to 1 million in 2018. The decrease in visi-
tors could be due to the two Malaysia Airlines crashes in 2014, Malaysia being blacklisted by China, the
kidnapping at Sabah, and the Covid-19 pandemic, all of which were crises that caused uncertainty in
travellers visiting Malaysia. Crises are one of the important issues that must be avoided in the travel
industry (Baggio & Valeri, 2020; Foo et al., 2020; Som et al., 2015; Valeri, 2016; Valeri et al.,
2020; Valeri & Baggio, 2020a).

CONTACT Albattat Ahmad ahmad_rasmi@msu.edu.my

© 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group
 CURRENT ISSUES IN TOURISM 2393

Methodology
Quantitative research in this area has centred around factual examinations of numerical information
gathered by utilizing an overview on an enormous scale (Mariani & Baggio, 2020; Valeri & Baggio,
2020b). In this research, the populations were Asian and European vacationers visiting Kuala
Lumpur, and the aim was to study the effect of physical, socio-psychological, and financial factors
on visit intention mediated by destination image. The researcher’s sample criteria were Asian and
European visitors between the ages of 18 and 65 years visiting Malaysia in March 2020. The
number of surveys gathered totalled 480, of which 426 were valid for analysis, for a 0.80% response
rate. The hypotheses are presented in Tables 3 and 4.

Data analysis
Descriptive analysis of respondents
The majority of the respondents were male, representing 50.7% (N = 216); 49.3% (N = 210) were
female; 42.0% (N = 179) were Asian; and 58.0% (N = 247) were European. Nearly half (43.3%) of

Table 1. Demographics.
Items Frequency Percentage %
Gender Male 216 50.7
Female 210 49.3
Country of origin Asian 179 42.0
European 247 58.0
Age Below 20 years 72 16.9
21–30 years 193 43.3
31–40 years 109 25.6
41–49 years 34 8.0
above 50 years 18 4.2
Level of education High school 29 6.8
Diploma 126 29.6
Degree 222 52.1
Postgraduate 47 11.0
Other 2 .5
Monthly income <USD 500 131 30.8
500–1000 82 19.2
1001–2000 44 10.3
2001–3000 74 17.4
3000> 95 22.3
Marital status Single 343 80.5
Married 81 19.0
Other 2 .5
Number of previous visits 1–2 242 56.8
3–4 95 22.3
5–6 22 5.2
7–8 4 9
above 9 63 14.8
Travel arrangements method Group package 46 10.8
Nongroup package 116 27.2
Individually 244 57.3
Other 20 4.7
Source of information Magazine 19 4.5
Newsletter 17 4.0
Internet 252 59.2
Word of mouth 105 24.6
TV 16 3.8
Other 17 4.0
Purpose of visit Holiday 295 69.2
Business trip 36 8.5
Family/friends 65 15.3
Other 30 7.0
2394 ALBATTAT ET AL.

Table 2. Descriptive Statistics.

Variables Mean Std. Deviation
Physical
Adequate accommodation 3.98 .898
Climate 3.58 .769
Accessibility of destination info 3.88 .755
Availability of public transport 3.76 1.012
Infrastructure 3.93 .865
Sociopsychological
Scenery and exotic experience 3.96 .837
Attractiveness of historical culture 4.01 .807
Relaxation environment 3.92 .840
Self-rejuvenate 3.74 .782
Pleasure seeking fantasy 3.79 .842
Financial
Affordable accommodation costs 4.04 .908
Currency exchange 3.88 .879
Affordable shopping 4.10 .857
Affordable transportation 3.81 .914
Perceived good value 3.90 .841
Post-crises destination image
Malaysia as a safe destination 3.96 .930
Crises are isolated and temporary 3.82 .837
Aware of recent crises that occurred in Malaysia 3.61 .872
Actions to prevent future crises 3.76 .832
Recommend to my friends/family 4.06 .790
Intention to visit
Sufficient accommodation facilities 3.92 .901
Rich and quality leisure facilities 3.78 .865
Clean and hygienic environment 3.63 .935
Protected environment 3.60 .894
Global brand destination 3.69 .894
Well-planned tourism 3.76 .818
Historical and cultural attractiveness 3.90 .820
Variety of F&B 4.20 .847
Hospitable 3.98 .965
Safe and secure 3.85 .915

the respondents were 21–30 years old (N = 193), and 30.8% (N = 131) of the respondents had a
monthly income of < USD 500. Travellers from Europe like to visit ecotourism areas. Of
the respondents, 59.2% had obtained the majority of their information about Malaysia from the
website (N = 252), which shows that the travel industry site provided a decent translation. Of the
respondents, 57.3% were travelling independently (N = 244) (Table 1).

Descriptive statistics
Table 2 shows the descriptive statistics of the items travel motivation, intention to visit and mediat-
ing variable. The physical factor variable section shows that adequate accommodation had the
highest median at 3.98, followed by climate at 3.58. The socio-psychological variable section
shows that most of the respondents visited Malaysia because of the attractiveness of its culture
and history, with a median of 4.01. This finding indicates that Malaysia has maintained its original
identity.

Results
Correlation testing
Table 3 shows the results of the correlation testing for hypotheses 1 through 7. The analysis indicates
that all the relationships were supported, but with different strengths, which shows that Asian and
 CURRENT ISSUES IN TOURISM 2395

Table 3. Hypothesis testing.

Pearson
Hypothesis Remarks Correlation Strength
H1: There is a relationship between physical factors and the Supported .570** Moderate
destination image.
H2: There is a relationship between sociopsychological factors and Supported .588** Moderate
the destination image.
H3: There is a relationship between financial factors and the Supported .490** Moderate
destination image.
H4: There is a relationship between the destination image and Supported .765** High
intention to visit.
H5: There is a relationship between physical factors and intention to Supported .515** Moderate
visit.
H6: There is a relationship between sociopsychological and Supported .514** Moderate
intention to visit.
H7: There is a relationship between financial factors and intention to Supported .343** Small but definite
visit. relationship

Table 4. Multiple regression.

Path Description
Hypothesis Remarks (β) Strength
H8: The destination image mediates the relationship between physical factors and Supported 11.485 Positive
intention to visit.
H9: The destination image mediates the relationship between sociopsychological Supported 11.159 Positive
factors and intention to visit.
H10: The destination image mediates the relationship between financial factors Supported 15.436 Positive
and intention to visit.

European tourists agreed that the socio-psychological factors had the strongest influence, with a
moderate strength coefficient value of β = .588 for destination image in hypothesis 1, while the
factor with the weakest influence was the relationship between the financial factor and destination
image, with a moderate strength coefficient value of β = .490 in hypothesis 3. However, the
relationship between destination image and intention to visit was positive, showing that this
relationship contributes strongly to tourists’ visit intention, with a coefficient value of β = .765 in
hypothesis 4. Therefore, physical factors had the highest value, with a moderate strength coefficient
value of β = .515 regarding the relationship of these physical factors and Asian and European tourists’
visit intention in hypothesis 5, while financial factors had the lowest value at only β = .343, which
shows that financial factors have weak relationships with the visit intention factors in hypothesis 7.

Multiple regression testing

Table 4 shows that destination image is positively affected as a mediating factor in the relationships
among the physical, socio-psychological, and financial factors that influence visit intention
during post-crisis recovery. Hypothesis 8 states that destination image mediates the
relationship between physical factors and intention to visit, with a positive strength coefficient
value of β = 11.485, followed by socio-psychological factors, with a positive strength coefficient
value of β = 11.159 in hypothesis 9, and financial factors, with a positive strength coefficient value
of β = 15.436 in hypothesis 10.

Discussion
There is a positive relationship between destination image and visit intention that contributes
strongly to tourist visit intention, with a coefficient value of β = .765. Physical factors had a moderate
relationship with Asian and European tourists’ visit intention because, as the analysis shows, many
2396 ALBATTAT ET AL.

tourists agreed that Malaysia supplies good services and hospitality products to customers, which
had a positive effect, indirectly leading to tourists intending to visit Malaysia. This finding is com-
pared to the second type of factor – socio-psychological factors – with moderate strength and a
coefficient value of β = .514, while financial factors had the lowest value at only β = .343, showing
that financial factors have a weak relationship with visit intention factors. The analysis in this
section overall supports hypotheses five, six and seven and agrees with the findings of Quintal
and Polczynski (2010) and Tavitiyaman and Qu (2013).

Conclusions and limitations

In this research, Malaysia was a leader in emergency recuperation in terms of the factors impacting
Asian and European travellers’ visit expectations, with a spotlight on the factors incorporated into
destination image in relation to intention to visit. The way in which Malaysia enforced a movement
control order during the Covid-19 pandemic showed that a crisis management plan helps identify
potential threats and prepare important responses. This study has limitations. The research was con-
ducted with the use of a large amount of past research and much data about how post-emergency
components impact travellers’ intention to visit Malaysia, which can assist different analysts in under-
standing all of the factors involved. Future research could further investigate the effects of the Covid-
19 disaster on the tourism industry and the effects on sustainable tourism performance.

Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

ORCID
Albattat Ahmad http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3127-4405
Azizul Jamaludin http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8445-3992
Nini Shaliza Mohd Zuraimi http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8881-9245
Marco Valeri http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9744-506X

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