Reconnecting An International Travel Network: The Personal Infrastructuring Work of International Travelers in A Multi-facet Crisis

TL;DR

This study explores how Chinese travelers used ICTs to navigate and reconnect disrupted international travel infrastructure during a multifacet crisis, highlighting their improvisational strategies and implications for travel support systems.

Contribution

It provides empirical insights into travelers' experiences and coping strategies during crises, bridging a gap in understanding the role of ICTs in crisis-induced travel disruptions.

Findings

Travelers improvised to reconnect broken travel infrastructure

ICTs played a crucial role in overcoming journey difficulties

Design implications for travel authorities and agencies

Abstract

In times of crisis, international travel becomes tenuous and anxiety provoking. The crisis informatics and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) community has paid increasing attention to the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in various crisis settings. However, little is known about the travelers' actual experiences in whole trips in crises. In this paper, we bridge the gap by presenting a study on Chinese travelers' encounters in their international journeys to the US during a multifacet crisis and their use of ICTs to overcome difficulties in the journeys. We interviewed 22 Chinese travelers who had successfully come to the US during the crisis. The findings showed how travelers improvised to reconnect the broken international travel infrastructure. We also discuss the findings with the literature on infrastructure, and crisis informatics, and provide design implications for travel authorities and agencies.