How Do Virtual-Real Fusion Scenes Drive Co-Creation in Heritage Tourism? Exploring the Mediating Effects of Flow Experience and Trust

The digital integration of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) has given rise to virtual-real fusion (VRF) scenes, which enhance immersive experiences and stimulate more active tourist participation. This dynamic lies at the heart of the value co-creation paradigm in contemporary cultural management. Grounded in the Stimulus – Organism – Response (S-O-R) framework, this study employs big data-driven network text analysis to investigate how VRF scenes influence tourists’ co-creation intentions, with a case study of Xiamen Fangte Oriental Heritage. The results reveal that physical, cultural, and interactive VRF scenes in ICH tourism significantly enhance tourists’ flow experiences and foster trust. However, only interactive scenes directly enhance co-creation intention, whereas physical and cultural scenes exert their influence indirectly through the mediating roles of flow experience and trust. This research confirms the dual mediation of flow experience and trust in translating VRF scene stimuli into co-creation responses. By extending the S-O-R framework to ICH tourism, our work advances the theoretical understanding of technology-mediated heritage engagement. It also offers practical insights for destination managers to optimize scene design, reinforce interactive innovation, and leverage psychological mechanisms to cultivate a sustainable co-creation ecosystem.