RISK PERCEPTION AND TRAVEL BEHAVIOR OF URBAN RESIDENTS IN A DENSELY POPULATED REGION OF EAST INDIA AMIDST COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Travel risk perception and tourist behavior have been of paramount importance since the COVID-19 pandemic. As the nature, intensity, and consequences of these perceptions and behaviors vary, an extensive study on the perceptions of tourists’ attitudes toward COVID-19-associated travel risks and travel behaviors related with gender, age, and educational level is essential, particularly in East India, one of the world’s most densely populated urban areas. The major outcome incorporates logistic regression showing how traveling with family exhibits a different behavior during the COVID-19 outbreak, with distinctive gender-specific characteristics influencing future choices and travel decisions.