Abstract
As a virtual revolution in emerging media environments, it is believed that the 3D virtual world environment of Second Life will gain more attention and become more pervasive as a new marketing tool in business and tourism industries. The purpose of this study is to investigate flow theory in understanding the impacts of virtual experiences of Second Life on people’s travel intentions. Undergraduate college students at Clemson University were chosen as participants and data was collected in April, 2009, entailing 42 usable surveys. The study results demonstrated that the antecedents of flow and flow experiences in 3D virtual destinations positively associated with people’s intentions to take an actual trip. By engaging in a virtual tourism destination site and experiencing enhanced flow, customers can develop consideration and awareness in their potential destination choice. More systematic research is needed to investigate the virtual experience and its effects on the traveler’s decision making process.
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Huang, YC., Backman, S.J., Backman, K.F. (2010). The Impacts of Virtual Experiences on People’s Travel Intentions. In: Gretzel, U., Law, R., Fuchs, M. (eds) Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2010. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-211-99407-8_46
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