Comprehending travel intentions during and after the covid-19 pandemic based on psychological theory models

The COVID-19 epidemic has had a profound impact on tourism in Thailand and worldwide. As one of the topranked global tourist destinations, Thailand has experienced significant effects on its economy and the wellbeing of its inhabitants. The objective of this study is to investigate the variations in tourists' behavior during and after the COVID-19 epidemic using the Health Belief Model and Travel planned behavior theories. Invariance analysis was tested across groups. The analysis revealed that attitude, perceived susceptibility, perceived benefits, government support, and perceived control had the most positive impact on travel intentions during the 2019 coronavirus epidemic. In contrast, perceived barriers, perceived severity, and health motivation had significant negative influences. Concerning behavioral intention after the outbreak, all the factors were significantly associated positively. The most influential factors were perceived susceptibility, attitude, health motivation, perceived behavioral control, perceived benefits, perceived severity, perceived control, and government support, respectively. Furthermore, the models of both groups during and after the epidemic were significantly different. Therefore, this study provides valuable insights for policymakers to develop strategies to stimulate the economy and sustainable tourism in the future.