A study of determinants that affect the intention to participate in online tours and the role of constraints under COVID-19 pandemic

To overcome the challenges presented by COVID-19, the tourism sector has introduced online tours to the market, in which tour guides introduce product via video conferencing tools. This study aims to investigate the factors influencing people's behavioral intentions to consume this new product. For this study, we conducted a web-based questionnaire survey in Japan in December 2020. The data analysis results confirm that positive emotions and telepresence positively influence people’s intention to participate in online tours. Additionally, we identified that travel constraints did not directly influence participation intention. Alternatively, they have an indirect influence through interactions with other factors. Specifically, structural constraints caused by external factors, such as lack of time, amplified the effect of authenticity, but attenuated the effect of telepresence. In addition, interpersonal constraints, such as incompatibility of schedules with companions, were found to increase the effect of telepresence, but weaken the effect of authenticity. Furthermore, the analysis results suggested that while daily travel constraints indicated a significant mediation influence on tourists’ participation intention, COVID-19 constraints indicated no significant influence for either direct or indirect effects. The findings of this study are beneficial in designing online travel experiences that can benefit tourists under travel constraints in the future.