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Happiness, Satisfaction, and Risk Perception

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This article examines the relationship between reported levels of happiness, satisfaction, and risk perceptions during holiday experiences. Empirical examinations of this relationship have received limited attention by researchers, yet examining this topic has theoretical and practical value. Specifically, the purpose of our study was to examine perceptions of risk to holiday activities and hazards, levels of hedonic satisfaction and positive emotions, and sense of engagement and meaning in life as three core elements of happiness for international tourists visiting Vanuatu. The research method consisted of a 100-item self-completed questionnaire; the questionnaire items were based on consumer behavior, psychology, hazard, and risk perception literatures. Results show that our international tourist respondents report high levels of happiness and hedonic satisfaction, perceive the majority of holiday activities as safe, and regard the majority of hazards as posing no threat to their tourist experiences. The study suggests that personal characteristics may influence satisfaction, happiness levels, and risk perceptions, but significant correlations among satisfaction, happiness, and risk perceptions are limited. Theoretically, the study contributes to the growing literature on risk and satisfaction in tourism. Practical recommendations arising from this study include targeted education and awareness campaigns.

Keywords: HAPPINESS; RISK PERCEPTIONS; SATISFACTION; TOURIST EXPERIENCES

Document Type: Research Article

Publication date: 01 April 2014

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  • Tourism Review International is a peer-reviewed journal that advances excellence in all fields of tourism research, promotes high-level tourism knowledge, and nourishes cultural awareness in all sectors of the tourism industry by integrating industry and academic perspectives. Its international and interdisciplinary nature ensures that the needs of those interested in tourism are served by documenting industry practices, discussing tourism management and planning issues, providing a forum for primary research and critical examinations of previous research, and by chronicling changing tourism patterns and trends at the local, regional and global scale.
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