Customer Acceptance of Autonomous Vehicles in Travel and Tourism

As autonomous vehicle (AV) technology advances, it promises to reshape travel and tourism by increasing personal mobility and potentially overcoming distance constraints. However, consumer skepticism remains a significant hurdle. This study investigates the factors influencing travelers' acceptance or rejection of AVs, specifically examining how cognitive appraisals—evaluations of relevance, benefits, and costs—influence emotional responses and subsequent behavioral intentions.

The researchers developed an Autonomous Vehicle Acceptance Model (AVAM) by synthesizing the Cognitive Appraisal Theory (CAT) and the Artificially Intelligent Device Use Acceptance (AIDUA) framework. The model maps a three-stage decision-making process:

1. Primary Appraisal (assessing trust, hedonic motivation, and social influence).
2. Secondary Appraisal (evaluating performance expectancy and perceived risks).
3. Outcome Stage (forming positive or negative emotions that drive intention to use or object to AVs).

The authors tested this model using data from 362 U.S.-based survey respondents recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk.

The study highlights that trust is the most critical antecedent, directly boosting performance expectancy and significantly reducing perceived risk. Hedonic motivation—the expectation of fun and pleasure—also emerged as a vital driver of positive performance expectations and emotions. Interestingly, while social influence was found to affect perceived risk, it did not significantly influence performance expectancy in this sample. Ultimately, emotions were the strongest predictor of whether a traveler would accept or reject the use of AVs, suggesting that functional reliability alone is insufficient; the overall travel experience must be perceived as enjoyable and safe.