Impacts of tourists’ trust, perception and acceptance of health quick response technology on responsible pandemic travel behaviours

Purpose This paper aims to establish and empirically test a theoretical framework to explain the impacts of health quick response (QR) technology trust and acceptance on responsible pandemic travel. Design/methodology/approach The study integrates trust, confidence and cooperation theory and the technology acceptance model (TAM) to address the research aim. Adopting a quota sampling approach, a national online survey of 1,089 respondents was conducted across mainland China. Structural equation modelling is applied to evaluate the proposed hypotheses. Findings Results indicate that health QR code technology trust can improve travel confidence and mitigate travel fear, which influences travel intention and social distancing practices among tourists. However, tourists’ acceptance of health QR codes encourages social distancing behaviours rather than travel intentions. Research limitations/implications The study illustrates the role of health information technology in improving tourist confidence and responsible travel behaviours in a pandemic context. Furthermore, the research supports and adds to the TAM by investigating the relationships between acceptance of health-related technology and pandemic travel behaviour. Practical implications This research helps the local government and tourism managers to evaluate the effectiveness of health QR codes in pandemic travel in China. Strategies for improving tourists’ trust, technology adoption and responsible behaviours are provided. Originality/value This study differs from existing literature by investigating the innovative technology (i.e., health QR codes) in pandemic travel. Given the prevalence of health QR codes after the COVID-19 outbreak, it fills a knowledge gap and provides advice to improve pandemic travel safety.