First Name:
Kelsey
Last Name:
Fuller
Major Department:
Sociology
Thesis Director:
Elizabeth Davison
Date of Thesis:
May 2014
This thesis studies the relationship between perceptions of risk that travelers feel when traveling internationally and their patterns of behavior regarding international travel. It was hypothesized that previous international travel, lack of language skills, negative media portrayals, adventurous personality types, and increased perceptions of risk regarding health concerns, political instability and crime would have an impact on international travel decisions. The original research, consisting of data collected via focus groups made up of Appalachian State University students, concluded that each one of the factors outlined in the research questions have an impact on international travel decisions and that generally, the less of a perceived risk the traveler has, the more likely he or she will be to travel internationally, and particularly to riskier destinations.