Exploring Relationships Between Nature-Based Destination Attractiveness, Satisfaction, Perceived COVID-19 Risk, and Revisit Intention in Bach Ma National Park, Vietnam

Abstract

National parks are increasingly recognized as attractive nature-based tourism destinations, playing an important role in tourism development in Vietnam. The study investigates the relationships between nature-based destination attractiveness, tourists’ satisfaction, perceived risk, and their revisit intention for Bach Ma National Park, central Vietnam, particularly in the context of COVID-19. Data were randomly collected from 308 domestic visitors who visited the park from December 2020 to May 2021, and structural equation modeling was performed to examine the relationships. The results of this study show that all six attributes of Bach Ma National Park, including natural, social, and cultural attractions, infrastructure, accessibility, prices, and services, had a significant positive effect on tourist satisfaction. Vietnamese tourists’ perceived risk associated with the pandemic had a significant negative impact on their satisfaction and a positive effect on their revisit intention. The findings from this study make a significant contribution to nature-based tourism literature, particularly towards effective marketing and management of national park-based tourism destination in Vietnam, notably with domestic tourists and in times of shocks such as COVID-19.