Immersion tourism context: scale development and influence mechanism of tourist multiple interactions

Abstract

ABSTRACT This research aims to clarify the core attributes of tourist multiple interactions, and how it may be possible to promote tourist well-being and citizenship behavior when traveling in an immersion tourism context. A mixed method with two studies was conducted to answer these questions. Study 1 developed and validated a scale for tourist multiple interactions through a mixed qualitative and quantitative research methodology, strictly following the steps of scale development. Survey data were acquired from travel notes, semi-structured interviews, and questionnaires in China. The results showed that tourist multiple interactions scale includes 3 dimensions and 18 items, including technology interactions, narrative empathy, and social interaction. To further verify the influence mechanism of scale, study 2 used a survey to explore the effect of tourist multiple interactions from the perspectives of both tourists and destinations. Survey data were acquired from 311 questionnaires in China. The results indicated that tourist multiple interactions were positively associated with well-being and tourist citizenship behavior. Tourist engagement mediated this relationship. Destination familiarity positively moderated the relationships between tourist multiple interactions and tourist engagement. Theoretically, the research provides extensive implications to tourist interaction and immersion tourism; whilst offering some actionable insights to tourism context.