Chinese tourists’ sense of safety: perceptions of expected and experienced destination safety

Tourist safety is a pertinent global issue affecting travellers and destinations. This study presents a conceptualization of tourists’ sense of safety, including their expected and experienced safety. This study outlines the measurement of tourists’ expected and experienced safety by surveying Chinese domestic tourists who visited Xiamen, China. The results of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyzes reveal 20 measurement items that fall under 5 dimensions of tourists’ expected and experienced safety: safety concerns, tourism environment, facilities and services, regional culture, and safety information. Significant differences emerged on all five dimensions and most measurement items related to tourists’ sense of safety. Overall, tourists’ experienced safety exceeded their expected safety, and tourists generally felt safe while visiting Xiamen.