Tourist Preparedness for Tsunami Hazards in Sustainable Coastal Tourism: A Protection Motivation Theory Approach in Pangandaran, Indonesia

Abstract

Tourists visiting tsunami-prone destinations often have limited familiarity with local hazards, making preparedness important for sustainable coastal tourism and disaster risk reduction. This study examines the determinants of tourist preparedness in Pangandaran, Indonesia, using the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) framework. Data were collected through an online survey of domestic tourists and analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results show that both threat appraisal and coping appraisal shape preparedness outcomes. Risk perception significantly elevates response efficacy, while self-efficacy serves as the primary direct predictor of behavioral intention. Perceived obstacles, operationalized as indirect indicators of personal resources and functional capacities rather than direct measures of response costs, significantly suppress self-efficacy. Response efficacy has a positive but statistically non-significant association with behavioral intention. Furthermore, behavioral intention strongly predicts actual behavior in the structural model, although moderate descriptive mean scores indicate an underlying implementation shortfall among visitors. Sociodemographic analyses revealed significant effects for selected variables: gender and age cohort significantly predicted self-efficacy, perceived obstacles, behavioral intention, and actual preparedness behavior, whereas income and travel purpose showed no significant associations. These findings highlight the central role of cognitive mechanisms in shaping tourist preparedness and underscore the need for targeted communication, capability-building interventions, and coordinated destination management to enhance safety and resilience in coastal tourism.