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VR tourism experiences and tourist behavior intention in COVID-19: an experience economy and mood management perspective

Wilson K.S. Leung (College of Professional and Continuing Education, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong)
Man Kit Chang (School of Business, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon, Hong Kong)
Man Lai Cheung (Nottingham Business School, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK) (Department of Marketing, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong)
Si Shi (Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu, China)

Information Technology & People

ISSN: 0959-3845

Article publication date: 17 May 2022

Issue publication date: 11 April 2023

2015

Abstract

Purpose

Virtual reality (VR) technology is a potential tool for tourism marketers to maintain the attractiveness of their destinations and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the effectiveness of VR technology in motivating potential tourists' visit intention under lockdown conditions remains unknown. An integrated model based on the experience economy framework and mood management theory was, therefore, used to explain how tourists' VR experiences affect their mood management processes and subsequent behaviors. This research also examined how perceived travel risk influenced the relationship between mood management processes and future decisions.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used a cross-sectional design based on a sample collected from a Chinese survey company, Sojump. The author surveyed 285 respondents who had experienced VR tourism activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research model was tested using partial least squares–structural equation modeling.

Findings

The results demonstrated that the four dimensions of VR experiences differently affected mood management processes, while perceived travel risk differently moderated the influence of mood management processes on visit intention and VR stickiness. This provides insights for tourism marketers to adapt to the current tourism environment and develop recovery strategies.

Originality/value

In response to gaps in the literature, this research examined the effectiveness of VR technology in driving tourists' visit intention during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing insights for tourism marketers to successfully implement VR tourism and plan timely recovery strategies.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

“The work described in this paper, was fully funded by a grant from the College of Professional and Continuing Education, an affiliate of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.”

Citation

Leung, W.K.S., Chang, M.K., Cheung, M.L. and Shi, S. (2023), "VR tourism experiences and tourist behavior intention in COVID-19: an experience economy and mood management perspective", Information Technology & People, Vol. 36 No. 3, pp. 1095-1125. https://doi.org/10.1108/ITP-06-2021-0423

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited

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