Trust in social non-pharmaceutical interventions and travel intention during a pandemic

Non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) become increasingly one of the most significant practices for preventing the spread of a pandemic through the movement of people (e.g., travel and tourism). Past studies argued that individuals’ acceptance of NPIs is adaptive behavior, which increases travel intention during a pandemic. Yet, firm beliefs about the extent to which others accept NPIs are as important as personal willingness to accept NPIs, due to the social and environmental components of public health measures against infectious disease. Thus, this study examined how one’s trust in social NPIs is related to travel intention during a pandemic. Data were collected in South Korea, one of the few countries where no measures to limit human mobility were taken after the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. Results showed that the trust in social NPIs meditates the relationship between the efforts to navigate travel constraints and intentions to travel during the pandemic.