Perceived Political Risk and Tourists’ Behavioural Intention: The Mediating Effect of Destination Image

Abstract

This research study is an attempt to understand the behaviour of tourists visiting the Kashmir valley in terms of destination image and future behavioural intentions as an outcome of perceived political risk. The study also looks at how two aspects of destination image-cognitive and affective mediate the relationship between tourists' perceived political risk and behavioural intention. The study used convenience sampling to collect data from 286 respondents using a self-administered questionnaire. Furthermore, the two-step structural equation modelling (SEM) approach was used to assess the measurement model's psychometric properties and test the proposed structural model. The results revealed that there is no direct relationship between perceived political risk and behavioural intention, whereas perceived political risk has a significant negative relationship with both cognitive and affective images. Moreover, cognitive and affective images have a significant positive relationship with behavioural intention. Finally, there is a fully mediating role of cognitive and affective images in the relationship between perceived political risk and behavioural intention. It is expected that the findings of this study will help destination marketers to understand the role of perceived political risk in shaping the destination's image and the behavioural intentions of tourists visiting risky destinations

Keywords

• perceived political risk
• cognitive image
• affective image
• behavioral intention
• mediation