抄録
The coronavirus （COVID-19）pandemic that began in 2020 resulted in a drastic drop in tourism travel demand. Studies have attributed this decline to the government’s declaration of a state of emergency and voluntary travel restrictions owing to pandemic-related fears, among other factors. Meanwhile, no studies have examined the characteristics of those persons who actually traveled despite these factors. Understanding the differences between those who did and those who did not travel during the pandemic disaster provides important insight into the impact of the coronavirus disaster on travel demand. The present study determines why this demand decreased during the pandemic. Using questionnaire-survey data, our analysis examines actual travel rates by travelers in each market segment. The results reveal that while the pandemic resulted in an overall decrease in travel demand levels, frequent travelers and people who were relatively well-off made fewer behavioral changes. This study demonstrates the role that these segments of the population played in supporting the tourism industry during the coronavirus pandemic. It provides important suggestions for measures to be taken in the event that we are faced with another major crisis in the future.
