Perceptions of Risk and Travel Intentions: The Case of China and the Beijing Olympic Games

The issue of risk associated with mega-event tourism has been receiving increased attention. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between risk perceptions and travel intentions associated with an Olympic Games' host country, using the Beijing Games as a case study. To control for the influence of individual backgrounds, this study focused on a homogeneous population, students below 30 years of age, US born and raised, and enrolled at a university in the US. Research participants (N = 350) responded to a questionnaire designed to measure perceived risks, travel intentions, international travel experience, tourist role, and demographics. A factor analysis revealed four perceived risk factors: Personal Safety, Cultural Risk, Socio-psychological Risk, and Violence Risk. Utilizing the factor scores, regression analyses revealed that Violence Risk and Socio-psychological Risk had significantly (p < 0.05) negative impacts on participants' intention to visit China as a tourist. Although not statistically significant, the four risk factors were negatively predictive of the intention to attend the Olympic Games in China. The perceived risk factors were further found to be related to gender and tourist role types. Discussions are focused on the implications of these research findings to mega event management and promotions of host countries as tourism destinations.