Facilitating presence to cocreation: a stimulation configuration perspective on travel livestreaming

Drawing upon presence theory, this study seeks to unravel the critical determinants converting engagement into value cocreation in travel livestreaming. To configure an optimal path for real-time interaction, live room setting, and product attributes in livestreaming via viewers’ sense of presence, we performed a scenario-based quasi-experiment with four alternative models. Model 1 elucidated the direct influence mechanism how real-time interaction, authenticity, and remuneration evoke value cocreation, while Model 2 reflected the moderation impact of the objective attributes between communication behaviours and value cocreation. Model 3 and Model 4 incorporated viewers’ physical and social presence into assessments as mediators. The results reveal that communication behaviours psychologically drive viewers’ sense of presence, thereby leading to value cocreation, while objective attributes moderate the subjective consciousness of presence. The research positions insightful theoretical implications to thrust value co-creation of tourism academia spotlight and practically contributes to promoting sales performance in the nascent tourism market.