Background and Objective: Despite its valuable historical, cultural, and natural attractions, Afghanistan has not yet been able to fully capitalize on its tourism potential due to the high level of perceived risk among tourists. Accordingly, this study examines the indirect effect of perceived risk on visit intention through the dimensions of destination image, including cognitive image, affective image, conative image, and overall destination image.
Methodology: Guided by a positivist paradigm, this study adopts a deductive and quantitative approach. In terms of purpose, it is applied research, while its methodological design is descriptive-survey. The target population consisted of Iranian citizens who had a willingness or potential intention to travel to Afghanistan for tourism purposes. The sample size was determined to be 263 using G*Power version 3. Data were collected through a standardized questionnaire and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) with SmartPLS version 3.
Findings: The results revealed that perceived risk had significant negative effects on visit intention and on the cognitive, affective, and conative dimensions of destination image. Furthermore, cognitive, affective, and conative destination image had significant positive effects on the formation of overall destination image. The positive effect of overall destination image on visit intention was also confirmed.
Conclusion: The findings underscore the importance of managing tourists’ perceptions and strengthening overall destination image to develop tourism demand in Afghanistan. These findings can provide a basis for formulating destination marketing strategies, improving tourism-related communications, and strengthening Afghanistan’s position among Iranian tourists.