Source market perceptions: How risky is Jordan to travel to?

The tourism industry is one of the most important economic sectors in Jordan. However, Jordan's geographic location in a conflict-ridden region has resulted in tourists’ misperceptions, especially given recent violent uprisings in neighboring countries and negative media portrayals of the region. The purpose of this study was to examine the US source market's perceptions of Jordan as a destination and to identify the factors that may influence their visiting intentions. Guided by the Risk Perception Attitude (RPA) framework, this study classified participants into clusters based on levels of perceived risk and efficacy beliefs. Four clusters were generated and compared based on individual characteristics, perceived safety, and visiting intentions. A series of mediation analyses were also conducted. Overall, the findings support the utility of the RPA framework in the context of tourism. Furthermore, the findings indicate that perceived safety mediates the relationship between respondents’ risk-perception attitudes and their visiting intentions.