Domestic visitors’ travel intention to Sabah post covid-19 travel restriction / Michelina David

Covid-19 pandemic has affected the tourism industry in Malaysia and it has influenced in the domestic visitors’ intention to travel. However, there are still limited studies done regarding on how the pandemic has affected the domestic visitors in Malaysia and their intention to travel to Sabah, Malaysia post Covid-19 travel restrictions. This study aimed to investigate the post Covid-19 travel intentions of Malaysian domestic visitors planning to visit Sabah. It examined fear of Covid-19, travel anxiety, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control, and risk attitude with domestic visitors’ travel intention to Sabah post Covid-19 travel restrictions by using the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). The research targeted domestic visitors in Malaysia intention to visit Sabah post Covid-19 travel restrictions, utilizing G*Power for sample size determination, and employing SPSS and Structural Equation Modelling with Partial Least Square for data analysis. The survey was distributed through social media using a Google Form. The study revealed varying perspectives among Malaysian domestic visitors regarding post-pandemic travel intention to Sabah. The study revealed that the fear of Covid-19 and risk attitude did not significantly impact the travel intention of domestic visitors to Sabah. These findings hold practical significance for tourism stakeholders looking to attract and accommodate domestic tourists in Sabah. Moreover, this research contributes to the tourism and education fields by enhancing the TPB model with additional variables, providing a more robust understanding of post-pandemic travel intentions.