Investigating the impact of virtual tourism on travel intention during the post-COVID-19 era: evidence from China

Abstract

This study explores the mechanism that contributes to travel intention in the field of virtual tourism. The overall research method is based on the “Stimulus-Organism-Response” theory. In the research model, the effects of content quality, system quality, and interaction quality in virtual tourism on tourism experience and travel intention are explored, as well as the role of virtual attachment and travel intention. A total of 390 respondents were invited to participate in a virtual tourism experience, and provide feedback through a questionnaire. SmartPLS 3.3.2 was used to validate the causal model, and most of the study hypotheses were supported. The findings show that virtual tourism significantly promotes travel intention. Specifically, content quality, system quality, and interaction quality positively affect tourists' travel intention through the complementary mediations of tourism experience and virtual attachment; and system quality even directly promotes travel intention. However, tourism experience does not affect virtual attachment. The present study extends prior studies on virtual tourism with SOR as a general model for field tourism experience research, while demonstrating the effectiveness of virtual tourism in promoting tourists’ travel intention. The results are useful in assisting governments with developing relevant policies and services, as well as helping tourism companies understand virtual tourism as an enhancement for tourist travel intention, thus contributing to the recovery of the tourism industry in the post-COVID-19 era.

Psychological recovery effects of 3D virtual tourism with real scenes -- a comparative study

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Tourist loyalty in the metaverse: the role of immersive tourism experience and cognitive perceptions

“…Flavián et al (2019) stated that virtual experiences enhance tourists brand perceptions and loyalty to destination. Ye et al (2022) found that the quality of virtual tourism platforms significantly enhanced visitor travel intention and satisfaction. Tourist satisfaction and destination attraction were both found to be positively impacted by immersion and happiness (Li et al , 2022).…”

Impact of ecological presence in virtual reality tourism on enhancing tourists’ environmentally responsible behavior

“…Prior research has examined the impact of traditional tourism on TERB, which encompasses tourists' commitment to environmentally beneficial practices 6 , underscores the significance of environmental self-efficacy and self-image in fostering ecological consciousness 1 , 7 . Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the rise of virtual reality (VR) technology has introduced virtual reality tourism (VRT), a novel concept that uses 3D technology to create immersive travel experiences with visual, motion, and audio cues 8 – 10 . This serves as an innovative alternative to traditional tourism, providing enriching experiences that have the potential to positively influence tourists’ behaviors towards the environment 11 , 12 .…”