PROPOSED PRO-ACT DECISION MAKING MODEL FOR TOURISM DESTINATION CHOICE IN DIFFICULT TIMES: CONSUMER PERSPECTIVE

Over the last two decades, tourism has faced a number of critical incidents threatening destinations’ image whose detrimental effects have spread rapidly worldwide. Also, such major crises have occurred in the past decades that have had a negative impact on tourism and travel demand. Consumers are forced to seek new alternative ways which entail an effective decision making process in terms of travel destination choice. This paper focuses on analysing motivational factors associated with the crisis that influence tourists’ pre- and post-purchasing behaviour. Tourist behaviour can vary during the crisis due to several external and internal factors. In order to avoid high risk and uncertainty, the decision making process enables travellers to overcome the issues through implementation of Pro-Act approach. Furthermore, the present research strives to provide a theoretical guide through extant literature using the Pro-Act approach from consumer behaviour perspective, by which travellers may reach the desired objectives regarding the choice of destination. This theoretical study is also an attempt to simplify the individual decision-making process from both consumer and marketing perspectives in difficult times using the concept of Pro-Act approach, which encompasses five main steps (Problem, Objectives, Alternatives, Consequences, and Trade-Offs) besides Uncertainty, Linked Decisions and Risk Tolerance.