Finnish Tourists' Responsible Travel Intentions in Times of COVID-19: Implications for Travel Intermediaries

Abstract

Tourists are more acutely aware of their environmental, socio-cultural and economic responsibility towards a destination when on holidays and this has fuelled in the need for sustainability to be incorporated as important component of their trip. This change in customer behaviour, coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, requires travel intermediaries to find alternative ways of creating value for their customers beyond good service and staff expertise. This research investigates the significance of responsible travel for Finnish tourists when booking with travel intermediaries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using an online questionnaire, data was collected from 1,096 Finnish travellers to understand their perceptions towards responsible travel during the pandemic and the implications for travel intermediaries. The results revealed that responsibility was an important feature of Finnish travellers purchasing decisions. This research can support travel intermediaries in understanding how to develop and market sustainable and responsible tourism products, which contribute to the longevity of the tourism industry.