Cultural distance and risk perception of Brazil according to the official travel advises

The perception of risk is one of the elements with the greatest influence in the choice of destination to travel. This perception may vary according to the culture of the country where the decision is made. In this work, we identify the most important risk dimensions in order to assess the influence of national cultures on the perception of risk of a given tourist destination. Specifically, we conducted a thematic content analysis of the travel recommendations on Brazil issued by the governments of Australia, Spain, the United States and the United Kingdom. It is observed that the perception of risk experiences important differences from one country to another, both in its category and in its intensity. These differences are closely related to cultural distance; i.e. culturally closer countries tend to be more tolerant of possible risks in the destination. Understanding these differences and identifying their magnitude are key to applying correct promotion policies adapted to the country of origin of tourists.