Effects of Virtual Experience Tourism Content Types on Visit and Recommendation Intentions: Presence Effect and the Moderating and Mediating Roles of Novelty-Seeking

Overview

This research investigates the effects of virtual experience tourism content on behavioral intentions among young adult populations, specifically addressing challenges of low awareness and demand for regional tourism destinations. The study examines three distinct content types incorporating gamification elements: emotion-responsive, on-site learning, and immersive extension formats. Central to the investigation is the mediating role of presence effects and the moderating influence of novelty-seeking tendencies on pre-visit tourism satisfaction measures, including visit intention and recommendation intention. The research develops and tests scenario-based content reflecting actual destination characteristics to understand how digital virtual experiences influence tourism demand through psychological mechanisms of immersion and user disposition.

Methods and approach

Three virtual experience tourism content scenarios were developed through literature review, case analysis, and user interviews, each designed to reflect spatial and cultural characteristics of actual tourist destinations. An online experimental study was conducted with 160 participants aged 20-39, who experienced all three content types in succession. Following each exposure, participants completed surveys measuring experiential responses, perceived presence effects, novelty-seeking tendencies, and pre-visit tourism evaluations including visit intention and recommendation intention. Statistical analyses examined differences in effectiveness across content types, tested the mediating role of presence between content type and satisfaction outcomes, and assessed the moderating influence of novelty-seeking dispositions on these relationships.

Results

Significant differences in pre-visit tourism satisfaction emerged across content types, with on-site learning content generating the highest satisfaction levels. Presence effects functioned as a key mediating variable linking content type to tourism satisfaction outcomes. Emotion-responsive content produced arousal-based presence effects particularly among users sensitive to emotional immersion, while on-site learning content enhanced feelings of being moved and memory effects for users valuing achievement and feedback mechanisms. Immersive extension content fostered memory-centered immersion through narrative structures, particularly for users attuned to storytelling elements. Participants exhibiting high novelty-seeking tendencies demonstrated greater immersion and satisfaction with content featuring intensified sensory stimulation and interactivity. These findings underscore the interaction between user dispositional traits and content design characteristics in determining experiential outcomes.

Implications

The research proposes a strategic framework for virtual tourism content design structured around introduction-development-closure-extension phases, integrating gamification and presence elements tailored to user novelty-seeking profiles. This framework derives tourism consumer personas based on novelty-seeking dispositions and specifies phase-appropriate content strategies aligned with immersive flow stages. The model reflects cognitive and emotional response mechanisms to inform differentiated experiential strategies. The framework provides directional guidance for digital tourism content planning and regional tourism revitalization policy formulation, offering practical utility for strategic planning and implementation of virtual experience initiatives. The study demonstrates that alignment between user traits and content characteristics constitutes a critical factor in virtual experience effectiveness for tourism promotion.