The Impacts of SARS on the Consumer Behaviour of Chinese Domestic Tourists

Abstract

By analysing the impacts of SARS on the consumer behaviour of Chinese tourists, this empirical research paper probes into the sensitivity of consumers towards crises in making decisions concerning leisure travel. The survey indicates that SARS has greatly affected people’s life, work and travelling during the SARS period while the impacts on people’s inclination to travel, the preference of leisure trips and concern of public hygiene vary. Generally speaking, the impacts of SARS are of a nature of paroxysm and time period, and the decrease of travel and tourism was caused by a combination of internal motivation as well as external compulsory measures and travel bans. Furthermore, the establishment of an effective communication system and emergency measures will contribute to the recovery of the tourist market.