Impact of Perceived Risk on Tourist Satisfaction and Future Travel Intentions: A Mediation-Moderation Analysis

This research study is conducted in the Kashmir Valley, which is rated heavenly for its natural beauty. However, it is also perceived as risky by the outsiders since 1989. Earlier, it was a very popular destination for tourists and for shooting of films. Kashmir still gets good number of tourists, but the puzzle of impact of perceived risks on their behaviour still remains blurred. This research study is an attempt to understand the behaviour of tourists visiting Kashmir in terms of satisfaction from tour and future travel-related intentions as an outcome of perceived risk. Tourist satisfaction as mediator and demographic variables as moderator are carried out to gain insight into the behaviour of these tourists. The results of the study show that tourist satisfaction and future travel intentions of tourists in the Kashmir Valley are not impacted by their perception of risks. The results are a valuable input for DMOs that suggests that risks at the destination cannot be taken as the default barrier to the promotion of tourism. The necessary supply-side interventions at the destination to mitigate identified perceived risks by tourists and tourism relationship strategies at the demand side to address tour satisfaction can reflect in rewarding future travel intentions like revisits and recommendations.