Ghosts: A travel barrier to tourism recovery

This study aims to assess whether or not beliefs in ghosts really deter tourists from traveling to disaster-hit destinations. To many it may appear that cultural differences do play a role in travel decision making between Asian and Western tourists. However, it is vital to provide empirical evidence of the impact of cultural differences in beliefs through a case study of the tsunami-hit destinations. Thus, this study aims to examine tourist barriers associated with tsunami-hit destinations, and also to assess cultural differences regarding such beliefs between Asians tourists from China and Thailand and Western tourists from Britain, Germany, and the United States and also across demographic profile.

Research highlights
► Psychologically perceived risk regarding ghosts is another real factor that delays destination recovery.
► Belief in ghosts is a travel barrier primarily among Chinese and Thai tourists during the first year of the destination recovery.
► The travel barriers revolving around collective beliefs take more time to overcome than physical risks from wreckage and debris.
► However, as the destination becomes crowded, most Thai tourists were no longer worried about ghosts at those places.