Travel risk perceptions before and today: A case study for the Czech Repubic

Abstract

Safety is the basic premise for the realization of tourism. The risk of danger or other harm is fundamental for tourists. Destinations feel the same way, which is why there are safety signs, such as Safe Destination, which assure tourists that it is safe to come. Many international organisations and communities (e.g. UNWTO) also report on safety and the safety situation. This paper looks at risk perceptions and how they change over time in general. The aim of the paper is to compare the declared perceived risks in the past with the perceived risks during their possible occurrence. Contribution try to highlight a research gap in the perception of risk differences over time in general not in particular tourism segment. The research was conducted on a sample of 1000 respondents in 2021 and 2022 and examined risk perceptions and their changes before the COVID-19 pandemic and in 2021 and 2022. The results suggest that risk perceptions decrease with longer time since the existence or occurrence of the risk. The results of the paper indicate important issues affecting international tourism in the context of the Central European area, specifically on a sample of Czech tourists.