Satisfaction with virtual nature tour: the roles of the need for emotional arousal and pro-ecological motivations

ABSTRACT

Interactive multimedia enables a mediated nature experience in ecologically vulnerable areas. The aim of this study is to clarify the social and individual motivational factors governing satisfaction with virtual nature tours. After visiting the Piusa Caves Nature Reserve in Estonia, and participating in its virtual tourism (VT), 299 tourists responded to a questionnaire regarding their natural and VT experiences. We use a general linear model to explore the effectiveness of predicting satisfaction with VT based on values, beliefs about treating nature, pro-ecological norms, and need for emotional arousal from virtual experiences. Compared to people with a high need for arousal, people with a low need are more easily satisfied with VT, regardless of its weak emotional triggers, e.g. lack of lively impressions, feeling of place change, and connection to real nature. Pro-ecological beliefs augment satisfaction with VT in people with a high need for arousal. Mediated nature experiences offer ways of engaging with nature more conveniently to hedonistic travellers and would likely be rejected by people who seek social interaction and physical challenges when travelling. As VT is better received among women, lower educated people, and 50–70-year-olds, these may be ideal target groups for promotion of mediated nature experiences.

KEYWORDS:

• Virtual tourism
• emotional arousal
• pro-ecological attitudes
• values
• beliefs

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge Professor Tiiu Kull’s contribution to the development of the questionnaire used at the Piusa Caves Nature Reserve and Dr Liina-Mai Tooding for consultation on statistical modelling.

Disclosure statement

The authors acknowledge no financial interest or benefit arising from the presented research.

ORCID

Sergey Kask http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7480-1925