Why do customers engage and interact in metaverse tourism? An SOR perspective
Raouf Ahmad Rather, Mustafeed Zaman, Tareq Rasul, Muhammad Zahid Nawaz, Naeem Akhtar
Abstract
The global tourism industry is experiencing extensive revolutions not only due to the COVID-19 outbreak but also due to cutting-edge technologies, including metaverse (MV). This industry can benefit from the advances of this technology to respond to the challenges. Therefore, we develop a metaverse-based model that investigates the impact of consumer’s experience with the MV system, MV-mediated-interaction and MV-mediated-immersion on MV engagement and its consequent influence on MV satisfaction and behavioural intentions to physically visit a destination (BIPVD), employing stimulus-organism-response perspective. We collected data from 212 respondents, who were users of differing metaverse applications, tested through PLS-SEM. First, the findings indicate the positive effect of experience with the MV system on MV engagement and MV satisfaction. Second, the results confirm the significant effect of MV-mediated interaction on MV engagement. Third, the findings revealed the positive effect of MV-mediated immersion on MV engagement and BIPVD. Fourth, the findings suggest a strong positive effect of MV engagement on MV satisfaction and BIPVD. Finally, the results support MV-engagement’s mediating role in predicting MV satisfaction and BIPVD. We conclude by drawing key theoretical/practical implications.