The impact of smart technologies on tourist wellbeing: The moderating role of need-for-cognition

The purpose of this empirical study is to examine how the use of smart technologies—virtual reality (VR), artificial intelligence (AI), and intelligent virtual environments (IVEs)—impacts tourists’ overall wellbeing in the context of a virtual destination tour. It also aims to explore the direct and moderating effects of tourists’ need-for-cognition (NfC) in the prestay phase. Two factors were examined in an experimental setting. The first factor, technology-type, was manipulated using four treatments reflecting four levels of sophistication: (1) static virtual tour (two-dimensional (2D) images) as a control group; (2) virtual tour with VR (360° images); (3) virtual tour with AI (intelligent chatbot plus 2D images); and (4) virtual tour with IVE (intelligent chatbot plus 360° images). The second factor, NfC, distinguished between individuals with high versus low NfC. The results indicate that (i) virtual tours enhanced by VR, AI, or IVE technology exert a positive and significant effect on tourists’ wellbeing during the prestay phase; (ii) NfC exerts a positive and significant effect on tourist overall wellbeing; and (iii) NfC moderates the relationship between a virtual tour with IVE and tourist overall wellbeing.