Tourism and COVID-19: Impacts and Implications on the Tourist Consumer Behavior

Garcez, A.; Franco, J.; Correia, R. A. F.

The Covid-19 pandemic generated an unprecedented global health outbreak and economic crisis. Therefore, and due to the growing attention given to its effects on the tourism sector and the numerous predictions made at both micro and macro levels, this study seeks to understand the transformations in tourist consumer behavior caused by the covid-19 pandemic. Thus, based on several assumptions, an explanatory model was built that addresses both the demand side (new consumer preferences) and the supply side (measures and strategies to combat the impacts generated by the perceived risk acquired during the confinement period). In this context, in view of the results obtained, it was concluded that this crisis had a permanent impact on consumer behavior, accelerating the migration to online, with a greater emphasis on safety, hygiene and health, as well as environmental and financial awareness. © 2021 AISTI.