From fear to assurance: interplay of key influences on tourists’ travel insurance purchase decision

Limited studies have applied a theoretical behavioural framework to understand travel insurance decision-making. This study aims to bridge this gap by employing the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) to examine the interplay between knowledge, perceived risk, social influence, and internet influence and the moderating effect of health concerns on travellers’ intention to purchase travel insurance. A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted among Malaysian international travellers from June to August 2024. Data were collected through self-administered online and face-to-face surveys, resulting in 335 valid responses from purposively sampled participants. The proposed model was tested using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) in SmartPLS 4.0 software. The study found that perceived risk and internet influence significantly impact the intention to purchase travel insurance, while knowledge and social influence were not significant predictors. Intention strongly influenced actual purchase, and health concerns moderated this relationship, reinforcing risk perception's role in adoption of travel insurance. The findings highlight digital engagement and health risk awareness as key drivers of insurance uptake. Theoretically, this study advances the application of Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) in tourism and consumer behaviour research, particularly in understanding financial decision-making under risk.