Immersive destination Simulation Experience, Flow, and destination behavioural Intention: a SOR–Flow–Presence framework in smart tourism

As tourism cities invest in smart infrastructures, immersive visitor interfaces and destination digital-twin initiatives, understanding how digitally mediated destination experiences shape tourist engagement and behavioural intentions has become increasingly important. This study examines the relationships among Immersive Destination Simulation Experience (IDSE), Tourist Satisfaction and Destination Behavioural Intention in smart tourism environments. IDSE refers to users’ overall evaluations of immersion, vividness and realism, engaging destination representation, and felt involvement when interacting with VR tours, 360° destination tours and interactive destination simulations. These interfaces may reproduce selected user-facing characteristics relevant to digital-twin platforms, including immersion, realism, interactivity and responsiveness, but they are not treated as fully deployed, continuously and bidirectionally synchronised digital-twin systems. Drawing on the Stimulus–Organism–Response framework and Flow Theory, IDSE is conceptualised as the stimulus; Perceived Presence, Perceived Enjoyment and Flow Experience as organismic states; Tourist Satisfaction as an evaluative response; and Destination Behavioural Intention as the final behavioural response. Data from 293 India-resident users of immersive tourism technologies were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling. IDSE was positively associated with Perceived Presence and Perceived Enjoyment, which were subsequently associated with Flow Experience. Flow Experience was positively related to Tourist Satisfaction and Destination Behavioural Intention, while Tourist Satisfaction was also positively related to Destination Behavioural Intention. Digital Literacy positively moderated the relationship between Perceived Presence and Flow Experience. The study explains how immersive destination simulations are associated with behavioural intentions through interconnected psychological and evaluative mechanisms and offers user-experience insights for the future development of destination digital-twin interfaces.