Exploring the influence of expectancy, valence, and instrumentality on VR tourism intention: A framework based on TAM and expectancy theory.

Background: Virtual Reality (VR) has demonstrated tremendous potential to transform the tourism industry, offering tourists immersive experiences in remote destinations with reduced costs. Drawing on the technology acceptance model (TAM) and expectancy theory, we investigated the intricate interplay between expectancy, valence, and instrumentality and tourists' VR tourism intention through perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness.
Methods: Our structural equation modeling results based on the survey of 282 VR tourists in China revealed that expectancy, valence, and instrumentality significantly impact perceived ease of use, which in turn affects VR tourism intention.
Results: Perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness each mediate the relationship between expectancy, valence, instrumentality, and VR tourism intention.
Conclusion: These results contribute to the VR tourism literature and offer practical insights for destination operators and marketers aiming to enhance VR tourism experiences and promote technology adoption in the tourism industry.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None.
(Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)