Author(s)

Yumeng Zhang ¹

Affiliation(s)

¹ Institue of Topic Researching, The University of Edinburgh, Old College, South Bridge, Edinburgh EH8 9YL, Edinburgh, The United Kingdom

Corresponding Author

Yumeng Zhang

ABSTRACT

After the global pandemic, the UK faced a backdrop of increasing number of travels but the UK travel insurance company suffered considerable financial pressure, which stem from a marked increase in the volume of claims. This phenomenon indicates a notable shift in the travel market, and it is imperative for travel insurance firms to leverage these behavioural insights and navigate the competitive market. This study explores the intricate dynamics of customer behaviour in purchasing travel insurance and identifies 5 potential factors that influence customers' intention on travel insurance, which are expected utility theory, perceived risks theory, symbolic consumption theory, knowledge gap theory and postpurchase behaviour. Based on the existing literature, both expected utility and perceived risks have been proved, while others are analysed as hypotheses. Utilizing a comprehensive questionnaire distributed to UK residents, this research garnered insights from 187 valid answers, employing quantitative analysis techniques to dissect their impact on travel insurance purchasing intentions. Key findings highlight the importance of addressing knowledge gaps as the most influential factor driving purchase intentions, which outweighed the existing literature of expected utility and perceived risks. Furthermore, the study reveals the influence of post-purchase experiences on future purchasing behaviour, illustrating the cyclical nature of consumer satisfaction and loyalty in travel insurance. Lastly, Symbolic consumption shown the negative impact towards the intention on purchasing travel insurance. This article contributes to the broader discourse on consumer behaviours in the insurance industry, offering valuable insights for marketers and policymakers aiming to enhance product offerings strategies.

KEYWORDS

Travel Insurance; Consumer Behaviour; Purchase Intention; Perceived Risk; Knowledge Gap Theory; Expected Utility Theory; Post-Purchase Behaviour; Symbolic Consumption

CITE THIS PAPER

Yumeng Zhang, In-Depth Customer Behaviour Analysis of the UK Market for Travel. Tourism Management and Technology Economy (2025) Vol. 8: 222-230. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23977/tmte.2025.080128.

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