Antecedents and Consequences of Flow Experience in Virtual Reality Tourism: A Path Analysis of Visit Intention

This study examines the psychological mechanisms underlying virtual reality (VR) tourism experiences through an integrated theoretical framework centered on flow experience and visit destination intention. Drawing upon flow theory, the research investigates how interactivity, perceived vividness, and telepresence influence flow experience and subsequently affect hedonic motivation and perceived visual appeal in VR tourism contexts. Using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis of data collected from 255 VR tourism users across major Chinese metropolitan centers, the study reveals that perceived vividness and telepresence significantly impact flow experience, while interactivity shows no significant effect. Flow experience demonstrates significant positive relationships with hedonic motivation and perceived visual appeal. Furthermore, hedonic motivation and perceived visual appeal significantly positively affect visit destination intention. The findings advance the theoretical understanding of VR tourism by illuminating the psychological pathways through which technological characteristics influence behavioral intentions. These results offer practical implications for destination marketers and VR tourism developers in designing more effective virtual experiences that enhance destination visit intentions.