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Digital Tourism and Wellbeing: Conceptual Framework to Examine Technology Effects of Online Travel Media

Author

Listed:
  • Youngjoon Choi

    (Department of International Office Administration, College of Science & Industry Convergence, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Korea)

  • Benjamin Hickerson

    (Department of Community and Therapeutic Recreation, School of Health and Human Sciences, The University of North Carolina, Greensboro, NC 27412, USA)

  • Jaewon Lee

    (College of Fine Arts, Hongik University, Seoul 04066, Korea)

  • Hwabong Lee

    (Department of Space Marketing, COEX, Seoul 06164, Korea)

  • Yeongbae Choe

    (Department of Tourism Management, College of Social Sciences, Gachon University, Seongnam-si 13120, Korea)

Abstract

The current pandemic is accelerating the wide-spreading popularity of digital tourism. Given that technology innovation has broadened the horizon of tourist experiences to the realm of virtual environments, this study aims to (re)conceptualize travel experience and develop a theoretical framework to examine media technology effects on virtual travel experience, destination image, and tourists’ well-being. As a conceptual work, this study adopts technological perspectives on online travel media to decompose technology attributes and articulate distinctive effects of technology-centric variables. The proposed framework illustrates five propositions that specify and explain the relationships among technology-centric variables (modality, agency, interactivity, and navigability), three groups of moderators (user-centric, content-centric, and situation-centric variables), virtual travel experience, destination image, and psychological wellbeing. By adopting the variable-centered approach to decompose online travel media, this study provides a new theoretical lens to understand the psychological mechanism of media technology effects in digital tourism. The framework will serve as useful methodological guidelines to conduct experiments to investigate the distinctive effect of a particular affordance or a specific technical feature. The potential benefits of digital tourism to enhance tourists’ wellbeing are discussed by highlighting the environmentally friendly and inclusive aspects.

Suggested Citation

  • Youngjoon Choi & Benjamin Hickerson & Jaewon Lee & Hwabong Lee & Yeongbae Choe, 2022. "Digital Tourism and Wellbeing: Conceptual Framework to Examine Technology Effects of Online Travel Media," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-13, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:9:p:5639-:d:809161
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jennifer Edson Escalas, 2007. "Self-Referencing and Persuasion: Narrative Transportation versus Analytical Elaboration," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 33(4), pages 421-429, December.
    2. Nadeem Akhtar & Nohman Khan & Muhammad Mahroof Khan & Shagufta Ashraf & Muhammad Saim Hashmi & Muhammad Muddassar Khan & Sanil S. Hishan, 2021. "Post-COVID 19 Tourism: Will Digital Tourism Replace Mass Tourism?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-18, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Kai Zhang & Xuejiao Chen, 2022. "Research on the Influencing Mechanism via Which Security Perception of Personal Information Affects Tourist Happiness: A Moderated Mediation Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-23, November.
    2. Saba Saneinia & Xuesong Zhai & Rongting Zhou & Ali Gholizadeh & Runhan Wu & Senliang Zhu, 2024. "Beyond virtual boundaries: the intersection of the metaverse technologies, tourism, and lifelong learning in China’s digital discourse," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-14, December.
    3. Xuejiao Chen & Kai Zhang & Yanting Huang, 2023. "Effect of Social Loneliness on Tourist Happiness: A Mediation Analysis Based on Smartphone Usage," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-22, May.

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