The interplay between prior knowledge, perceived risk and the tourism consumer decision process: a conceptual framework

TLDR: In this article, tourists' cognitive/psychological factors play a role in their behavioral decision process, incorporating tourist risk perceptions, their prior knowledge and sensation seeking propensity as important psychographic attributes, and explains their possible interplay in various stages of the tourist decision-making model.

Abstract: When potential tourists engage in the decision-making process, there are a range of factors that can play a role in influencing their destination choice and the final travel outcome. This paper proposes a framework on how tourists' cognitive/ psychological factors play a role in their behavioural decision process. More specifically, this paper incorporates tourist risk perceptions, their prior knowledge and sensation seeking propensity as important psychographic attributes, and explains their possible interplay in various stages of the tourist decision-making model. This paper proposes a relationship between tourist prior knowledge, risk perceptions and subsequent information search behaviour, which has been overlooked in previous tourist decision-making models. Theoretical and practical implications are presented.