biostudies-literatureUnknownSembada AY•The research identifies that low perceived control explains why some tourists still chose to travel despite a pandemic.•Two studies found evidence of biased reasoning, as tourists may "wish away" perceived risks in favor of indulging in holidays.•Guilt over holidaying during a pandemic was low among those who were able to attribute their decision to external forces.•Travel professionals may employ strategies that modulate perceptions of risks to influence tourists' behaviors.Annals of tourism research103040https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC7476898biostudies-literatureBiting the travel bullet: A motivated reasoning perspective on traveling during a pandemic.PMC7476898Sembada AYKalantari HDfalseBiting the travel bullet: A motivated reasoning perspective on traveling during a pandemic.•The research identifies that low perceived control explains why some tourists still chose to travel despite a pandemic.•Two studies found evidence of biased reasoning, as tourists may "wish away" perceived risks in favor of indulging in holidays.•Guilt over holidaying during a pandemic was low among those who were able to attribute their decision to external forces.•Travel professionals may employ strategies that modulate perceptions of risks to influence tourists' behaviors.2020-01-01T00:00:00Z2020 Sep2024-11-08T10:26:43.07Z2020-09-12T07:06:45ZS-EPMC74768983292184610.1016/j.annals.2020.103040