The Impact of Perceived COVID-19 Risk and Social Media on the Intention for Revisiting with the Mediating Role of Brand Engagement in the Tourism Industry of Māzandarān province

In recent years, the global economy witnessed a remarkable growth in the tourism industry. However, this growth and dynamism were severely disrupted by the global spread of the COVID-19. With the imposition of international travel bans and the enforcement of widespread restrictions on public gatherings, along with hindrances to movement and mobility to various destinations, the tourism sector came to a halt. The pandemic's impact effectively pushed tourism towards a complete standstill. This study aimed to investigate the impact of perceived COVID-19 risk and social media on the intention for revisiting, with the mediating role of brand engagement in the tourism industry. The study had an applied objective and was conducted using descriptive survey with a cross-sectional approach in terms of methodology. The statistical population of the study were all customers of tourism offices in Māzandarān province, from which 384 individuals has been selected as the sample through the Cochran formula. A researcher-made questionnaire adapted from Rutter's study (2021) was used for data collection. The questionnaire comprised 7 dimensions and 29 questions, formulated on a five-point Likert scale. The content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed. The reliability of the questionnaire was calculated by the Cronbach's alpha coefficient (α=0.7). Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) technique using SmartPLS software was employed for hypothesis testing. The results demonstrated that social media and perceived COVID-19 risk have significant direct effects on brand engagement and intention for revisiting. Furthermore, the brand engagement has a significant direct impact on the intention for revisiting. Brand engagement was also found to mediate the relationship between social media and perceived risk with the intention for revisiting.
 
Extended Abstract
Introduction
The global pandemic of the coronavirus disease, commonly known as COVID-19, has caused disruptions worldwide and brought about unprecedented socio-economic transformations across societies around the globe. The side effects of combating this disease include the paralysis of productive activities, leading to serious economic and social consequences on a global scale. One of the sectors most sensitive to health and safety issues, changes in political conditions, economic crises, natural disasters, and epidemics is the tourism industry. For over a year now, the global tourism industry has faced an unprecedented recession. Most tourism establishments and travel service offices have been shut down, transportation systems and flights have been limited, hotels and eco-tourism destinations have been devoid of travelers, and tour guides find themselves unemployed and confined to their homes. While numerous studies have been conducted regarding the impacts of COVID-19 on the tourism industry, only a few have examined perceived risk as a significant factor influencing the intention to revisit tourist destinations. This gap in the research literature indicates an area that requires further investigation. Also, social media possess considerable potential to influence tourists' intention to visit destinations, as these platforms can potentially engage tourists with the destination's brand. However, the effects of social media on brand engagement during a pandemic have not received significant attention. Therefore, it is essential to bridge this research gap through more comprehensive studies. The present research aimed to explore the impact of perceived risk and social media during the pandemic on the intention for revisiting, while also investigating the mediating role of brand engagement. The objective of this study was to propose a new conceptual framework with sufficient complexity to elucidate the factors influencing the intention to revisit a destination, taking into account the potential roles of perceived risk, social media, and brand engagement.
Methodology
The study had an applied objective and was conducted using descriptive survey with a cross-sectional approach in terms of methodology. The statistical population of the study were all customers of tourism offices in Māzandarān province, from which 384 individuals has been selected as the sample through the random sampling method. A researcher-made questionnaire adapted from Rutter's study (2021) was used for data collection. The sample size required for the study was calculated from the Cochran's formula for a limited population with a 5% error. Data collection was conducted through both library research and survey. The variables under investigation were gathered using an adapted "Indigenized Electronic Questionnaire" based on Rutter's study (2021). The questionnaire comprised 7 dimensions and 29 questions designed based on a 5-point Likert scale. The face validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by experts and specialists. The content validity was assessed using the Relative Content Validity Index, based on the opinions of 10 knowledgeable experts in the research area. Additionally, the reliability of the questionnaire was verified using the Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Given that the relative content validity values based on the opinions of 10 experts were above 0.60 and the Cronbach's alpha coefficients for each research variable were above 0.70, it can be concluded that the variables are normal, and the validity and reliability of the research questionnaire have been confirmed. The collected data were analyzed using the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) technique with a partial least squares (PLS) approach, using SmartPLS software.
Results and discussion
The results indicated that social media has a positive and significant effect on brand engagement with a standardized coefficient of 0.482. This result showed that with an increase in individuals' use of social media, their engagement with the brand also increases. The perceived risk of COVID-19 has a negative and significant impact on brand engagement with a standardized coefficient of 0.141. Therefore, the second hypothesis was confirmed. This finding suggests that as the perceived risk of COVID-19 increases, brand engagement decreases. Additionally, the results indicated that social media, perceived risk of COVID-19, and brand engagement have significant effects on the intention to revisit with standardized coefficients of 0.519, 0.211, and 0.189, respectively. Therefore, the third to fifth hypotheses were confirmed. These results demonstrated that as individuals' use of social media and brand engagement increase, the intention to revisit also increases. Moreover, as the perceived risk of COVID-19 increases, the intention to revisit decreases. The results also showed that brand engagement mediates the relationship between social media and the intention to revisit, and the obtained Sobel test value is greater than 0.961, indicating a significant indirect effect. Similarly, brand engagement also mediates the relationship between the perceived risk of COVID-19 and the intention to revisit, therefore the seventh hypothesis was confirmed.
Conclusion
Given that tourism is one of the largest industries worldwide with rapid growth, it is expected to play a significant role in the economic and social recovery following the global spread of the coronavirus. To this end, the present study investigated the impact of perceived risk and social media on the intention to revisit with the mediating role of brand engagement. The results indicated that factors such as perceived travel risk and social media have an influence on brand engagement. One of the most prominent phenomena observed in customer behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic is the perceived risk, which has notably affected their behaviors and decisions. Furthermore, the findings showed that brand engagement has an impact on the intention to revisit. The mental image of the destination serves as a predictor for the economic performance of a tourism organization (such as hotels or travel agencies). Additionally, the results of this study highlighted the influence of brand engagement on the intention to revisit.
Funding
There is no funding support.
Authors’ Contribution
Authors contributed equally to the conceptualization and writing of the article. All of the authors approved the content of the manuscript and agreed on all aspects of the work.
Conflict of Interest
Authors declared no conflict of interest.
Acknowledgments
We are grateful to all the persons for scientific consulting in this paper.