Integrating virtual reality devices into the body: effects of technological embodiment on customer engagement and behavioral intentions toward the destination

ABSTRACT

Virtual reality devices create a high integration of technologies with human senses. However, few studies analyze how embodied technologies affect customer pre-experiences with a destination. Results from a lab experiment show that compared to desktop PC and mobile phones, VR head-mounted displays generate more immersive experiences, higher sensory stimulation, more engagement, and higher behavioral intentions toward the destination. Immersion and sensory stimulation mediate the effects of technological embodiment on engagement and behavioral intentions. Furthermore, active (versus passive) tourism content strengthens these effects. Our results stress the role of technological embodiment to generate effective pre-experiences with potential tourists’ destinations.

KEYWORDS:

• Virtual reality
• destination marketing
• tourist pre-experiences
• technological embodiment
• immersion
• sensory stimulation
• engagement
• behavioral intentions
• active tourism
• SOR model

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. The same analyses were carried out including the control variables (previous experience with the destination, preference for the type of tourism, previous experience with the technology, degree of technological innovativeness) as covariates. The results of the ANCOVAs replicated those of the ANOVAs. None of the control variables had a significant impact on the perceptions of technological embodiment (ps > 0.182) and on the perceptions of active/passive tourism (ps > 0.406).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (ECO2016-76768-R); the European Social Fund and the Government of Aragon (group “METODO” S20_17R and pre-doctoral grant 2016–2020 BOA IIU/1/2017).