The Impact of Perceived COVID-19 Risk and Social Media on the Intention for Revisiting with the Mediating Role of Brand Engagement in the Tourism Industry of Māzandarān province

In recent years, the global economy witnessed a remarkable growth in the tourism industry. However, this growth and dynamism were severely disrupted by the global spread of the COVID-19. With the imposition of international travel bans and the enforcement of widespread restrictions on public gatherings, along with hindrances to movement and mobility to various destinations, the tourism sector came to a halt. The pandemic's impact effectively pushed tourism towards a complete standstill. This study aimed to investigate the impact of perceived COVID-19 risk and social media on the intention for revisiting, with the mediating role of brand engagement in the tourism industry. The study had an applied objective and was conducted using descriptive survey with a cross-sectional approach in terms of methodology. The statistical population of the study were all customers of tourism offices in Māzandarān province, from which 384 individuals has been selected as the sample through the Cochran formula. A researcher-made questionnaire adapted from Rutter's study (2021) was used for data collection. The questionnaire comprised 7 dimensions and 29 questions, formulated on a five-point Likert scale. The content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed. The reliability of the questionnaire was calculated by the Cronbach's alpha coefficient (α=0.7). Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) technique using SmartPLS software was employed for hypothesis testing. The results demonstrated that social media and perceived COVID-19 risk have significant direct effects on brand engagement and intention for revisiting. Furthermore, the brand engagement has a significant direct impact on the intention for revisiting. Brand engagement was also found to mediate the relationship between social media and perceived risk with the intention for revisiting.