Academic Resilience, COVID-19 Risk Perception, and Psychological Well-Being on the Career Intentions of Tourism and Hospitality Students

Literature attests that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected students’ psychological well-being and intentions to work in the tourism and hospitality (T&H) industry. This study, therefore, examines the relationship between academic resilience, COVID-19 risk perception, psychological well-being, and the career intentions of T&H students. The study adopted a survey method to collect data from 448 undergraduate T&H students in Ghana. Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), the findings indicate that academic resilience significantly affects students’ psychological well-being and career aspirations. Furthermore, the study finds a positive correlation between students’ psychological well-being and career intentions. Through the conservation of resources and the event systems theories, the study established the role of resilience and psychological well-being in shaping career intentions amid major events such as the pandemic.