The outbreak of A/H1N1 influenza (henceforth, swine flu) in 2009 was characterized mainly by morbidity rates among young people. This study examined the factors affecting the intention to be vaccinated against the swine flu among students in Israel. Questionnaires were distributed in December 2009 among 387 students at higher-education institutions. The research questionnaire included sociodemographic characteristics and Health Belief Model principles. The results show that the factors positively affecting the intention to take the swine flu vaccine were past experience with seasonal flu shot and three HBM categories: higher levels of perceived susceptibility for catching the illness, perceived seriousness of illness, and lower levels of barriers. We conclude that offering the vaccine at workplaces may raise the intention to take the vaccine among young people in Israel.

The growing number of negative events worldwide, among them natural disasters, artificial disasters and terrorism, has led the public to focus attention on the impact of such events on the economy and the capital market. This research examines the effects of natural disasters, artificial disasters and terrorism on the stock market in order to reveal profit opportunities. In this research, we collected data on 344 significant events that received media attention and examined the differences between the three types of events using the Pessimism Index. Some of the results include the following: (1) natural disasters cause the greatest damage to the economy, whereas terrorism causes the least damage; (2) natural disasters exhibit the highest level of severity, whereas artificial disasters have the lowest severity. The research reveals some opportunities for investors to obtain arbitrage profits. During natural disasters, the stock index decreases on the day of the events and on the two subsequent days. Therefore, investors should short sell the index on the day of the disaster and hold it for 2 days. On the contrary, during artificial disasters or terrorist incidents, the index drops only on the day of the event and the next day, so investors should short sell the index on the day of the disaster and hold it until the end of the first working day following the incident.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of tourists’ perceptions of political and economic instability and risks of terrorism on their intentions to travel to countries associated with various risks. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 648 Greek, Israeli and Portuguese students completed a questionnaire focusing on their perceptions concerning factors that shape their travel decisions. Findings: The findings showed that among tourists from Greece and Portugal, the experience of economic crisis and the salience of economic and political hardships mitigated their intentions to travel to destinations with similar problems. These factors had no effect on Israelis, who have not experienced such problems in their country. Frequent terrorist incidents diminished the intentions of Greek tourists to travel to destinations marked by terrorism, such as Israel. Thus, different factors affect tourists’ travel-related decisions in each of the three countries. Originality/value: The study sheds light on how potential tourists construe the risks of traveling to specific destination countries based on hazards in their home countries, a topic that to date has received little research attention.

The global health crisis initiated by the COVID-19 pandemic triggered unparalleled economic upheavals. In this comprehensive study of 16 countries categorized by their infection rates, we scrutinize the impact of a range of variables on stock market indices and calculate four critical ratios derived from those variables. Our regression analyses reveal striking differences in how the variables influenced stock indices in countries with low and high infection rates. Notably, in countries with low infection rates, all variables exhibited significant effects on stock returns. An increase in infection numbers and fatalities correlated with greater stock market declines, underscoring the market’s sensitivity to the health and economic risks posed by the pandemic. Recovery and testing rates also displayed positive associations with stock returns, reflecting investor optimism concerning potential recovery scenarios. Conversely, nations grappling with high infection rates experienced notably weaker effects from these variables. Although fatalities had a negative impact on stock indices, other factors, including recoveries, infections, and testing rates, did not result in significant effects. This suggests the likelihood that markets in high-infection countries had likely factored pandemic conditions into their pricing, thereby reducing the immediate impact of these metrics on stock returns. Our findings underscore the intricacies of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on stock markets and highlight the importance of tailored strategies and policies for distinct country categories. This study offers valuable insights for policymakers and investors navigating financial markets during global health crises and preparing for future epidemics.

The sharing economy model that was developed in the last decade has a major effect on a different aspect of life. The purpose of this research is to test the effect of a sharing economy product on its competitors. Specifically, this study used the event study approach to examine how Airbnb announcements affected hotel stock prices. To accomplish this goal, we used 180 Airbnb announcements to investigate the general effect of Airbnb, and the effects according to the type of announcement and the type of audience. The findings indicate that general Airbnb announcements have a negative effect on the hotel stock prices. In addition, investors respond negatively to positive announcements but not to neutral ones. Finally, announcements targeting young people have no effect on the stock prices of hotel companies, while the effect of announcements targeting families lasts the longest. We also explored investment strategies for general investors and those with inside information. We suggest that general investors short sell the stock on the day of the news announcement. Investors with inside information should short sell the stock a few days before the day of the news announcement. In both cases, investors should close their positions a few days later depending on the type of announcement.

Changing weather driven by climate change may influence tourists’ decisions about “when and where to go for vacation.” Indeed, the results of climate change have altered the attractiveness of a variety of destinations and locations, therefore changing the profitability of tourism-based businesses. The aim of the study was to evaluate the potential impact of climate change on visits to outdoor recreation sites. Specifically, the research assessed the impact of weather, as well as economic and other characteristics, on the number of domestic and international tourists visiting national parks located in different climate zones within a single country—Israel. This research was based on a unique database of actual daily visits by international and domestic tourists to national parks in Israel during a six-year period (2012–2017). Each national park has different accessibility characteristics and offers different attractions. The climate data included daily maximum temperature, rain, extreme weather, as well as temperature indices measuring heat and cold. The results of the econometric analysis showed that weather-related parameters have a statistically significant effect on national park visits among both domestic and international tourists, while the magnitude of the effect varies by park and visitors’ place of origin.