Predicting Chinese students’ destination choice intentions for international higher education in post-COVID-19: combining the image-value-behavior framework and protection motivation theory

Despite the dramatic changes COVID-19 brought to international higher education (IHE), studies investigating students’ destination choices for IHE from a pandemic perspective are limited. This study introduces an integrated model combining the destination image-perceived value-behavioral intention framework and protection motivation theory, which includes both promotion and prevention factors and captures students’ destination images regarding COVID-19, to examine factors influencing their destination choices for IHE purposes in the post-COVID-19 era. This study set China as the context, as it is the largest source country in the IHE sector. Data was collected from Chinese university students (N = 346) who were considering studying abroad. Using PLS-based structural equation modeling techniques, the results show that destination image, as a multi-dimensional construct, can be regarded as an important antecedent towards perceived risk, trust in government, and self-efficacy; destination image, trust in government, and self-efficacy positively influence perceived value; and there is a positive relationship between perceived value and destination choice intention. This study provides insights for host governments and educational providers that desire to attract more Chinese students and can help the recovery of IHE after the pandemic.