The impact of fear of COVID-19 infection on consumers’ intention to visit restaurants

Tamara Gajić; Mirjana Penić; Dragan Vukolić

doi:10.5937/menhottur2201067G

Authors

Tamara Gajić Geographical Institute “Jovan Cvijić”, SASA, Belgrade, Serbia; South Ural State University, Institute of Sports, Tourism and Service, Chelyabinsk, Russia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3016-8368
Mirjana Penić University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management, Novi Sad, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1725-2119
Dragan Vukolić University of Business Studies, Faculty of Tourism and Hotel Management, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6364-9849

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5937/menhottur2201067G

Keywords:

restaurants, consumers, the Republic of Serbia, COVID-19

Abstract

The problem of excessive tourism has overnight become an ideology and a part of the past. With the appearance of the COVID-19 pandemic, the flow of tourist movements was abruptly interrupted, and thus the visits to restaurants. The aim of the research was to determine whether the fear of the users of the pandemic infection affects the intention to visit restaurants. The total number of respondents was 508, in 27 restaurants in the Republic of Serbia. The authors used exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and multiple regression analysis with mediation for data processing. The research concluded that the perceived fears of the respondents may influence the decision to visit restaurants. The importance of research is reflected in the application of results in theory and practice, in order to facilitate business during the pandemic.

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