Predicting the Willingness and Purchase of Travel Insurance During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This study explored the willingness and purchase of travel insurance during the COVID-19 pandemic amongst working adults to ensure their safety and welfare through the lens of the theory of planned behavior. Primary data were gathered from 1,118 working adults across Malaysia and analyzed using the partial least squares structural equation modeling. The study outcomes revealed that attitude toward travel insurance was significantly influenced by insurance literacy, perceived health risk, and health consciousness. The willingness of working adults to purchase travel insurance was highly influenced by attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral controls but unaffected by perceived product risks. The purchase of travel insurance was positively influenced by the willingness to purchase travel insurance. In fact, travel insurance literacy and perceived health risk should be emphasized amongst working adults to encourage them to purchase travel insurance policies for traveling abroad.

Keywords: COVID-19; Malaysia; theory of planned behavior; travel insurance; working adults.