Engaging with avatar in virtual regenerative tourism

ABSTRACT

This study explores the role of avatar tour guides in influencing travelers’ environmental awareness and support for local communities within virtual regenerative tourism. Through three experimental studies, the findings reveal that avatars, strategically designed to vary in gender (female versus male), attire (naturalistic versus commercial), and communication styles (naturalistic versus commercial), play a pivotal role in cultivating rapport with tourists. This enhanced rapport not only amplifies engagement but also fosters a deeper environmental consciousness and support for local communities. The study integrates Communication Accommodation Theory and Theory of Engagement into tourism research, offering actionable insights for optimizing virtual regenerative tourism.

KEYWORDS:

• Regenerative tourism
• avatar
• virtual travel
• rapport
• engagement
• environmental consciousness
• community
• gender
• communication
• sustainability

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the following grants: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (UGC) funded [P0043849], ‘Blockchain technology in the hospitality industry: Traceability, food safety, food quality, and satisfaction’; [P0045695], ‘Multi-Modal Multi-Label Tourism Statistics Inferring from Publicly Available Geo-Social Footprint Data,’ under VP(RI)’s Special Allocation. The University Grants Committee (Hong Kong) provided funding for [P0045911], ‘Avatar in Green Training: Perceived Authenticity, Virtual Rapport, Green Engagement, and Green Creativity,’ under the Mr and Mrs Chan Chak Fu Research Assistantship. The Research Grants Council supported [P0047204, 25504823], ‘Co-creating value with virtual humans: The effects of non-verbal communication during face-to-face service encounters,’ under the RGC Early Career Scheme. The Innovation and Technology Commission funded [P0043294, ITS/028/22FP], ‘An Interaction Framework of Hospitality Virtual Human Persona and Brand Personality Consistency.’

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/10548408.2024.2350053.

Additional information

Funding

This project received funding from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (UGC), [P0043849]; The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (UGC) under VP(RI)’s Special Allocation, [P0045695]; the University Grants Committee (Hong Kong) under the Mr and Mrs Chan Chak Fu Research Assistantship, [P0045911]; the Research Grants Council under the RGC Early Career Scheme, [P0047204, 25504823]; and the Innovation and Technology Commission, [P0043294, ITS/028/22FP].