Understanding Travel Avoidance of Tourists to a Heritage Destination : Case of Puri Pilgrimage after COVID-19 pandemic

Puri has been serving as the most sought-after destination for the people of Odisha. It is not only known for the pilgrimage, but also for several other attractions that it offers. Travel to Puri has slumped owing to the chaotic situation triggered by covid-19 pandemic. Complexities related to travel has surged in the last couple of years. Hence, there is a resistance in tourism behavior among the travelers across the world. Tourism as a sector is extremely sensitive to crucial situations like these where travelers’ safety becomes utmost important. When possible hazards outweigh the rewards, travelers become less inclined to travel-related routines. In the backdrop of chaos and complexity theory, this study identified and assessed 7 different factors which associate to the likelihood of travel avoidance to local destination Puri during pandemic. Data was collected from 346 residents of Odisha and analyzed to build a model explaining the behavioral intention of travel avoidance. Perceived travel risk, safety concern, personal efficacy, perception and negative impact of COVID-19 are found to be significant contributors to travel avoidance tendencies. The findings also indicating significant contribution of age and family income. As most of the existing literature deals with international tourism, this study will help the research fraternity to explore the changing aspects of local tourism with respect to traveling behavior after multiple waves of COVID-19 pandemic. It will also assist stakeholders to remove the travel barriers and be resilient in preparation in these uncertain times