IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i6p5046-d1095363.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Exploring Regenerative Tourism Using Media Richness Theory: Emerging Role of Immersive Journalism, Metaverse-Based Promotion, Eco-Literacy, and Pro-Environmental Behavior

Author

Listed:
  • Xiaozhe Hui

    (Intercultural Communication Research Center, Hebei University, Baoding 071000, China)

  • Syed Hassan Raza

    (Institute of Media and Communication Studies, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 66000, Pakistan)

  • Sanan Waheed Khan

    (School of Multimedia Technology and Communication, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Sintok 06010, Malaysia)

  • Umer Zaman

    (Endicott College of International Studies (ECIS), Woosong University, Daejeon 34606, Republic of Korea)

  • Emenyeonu C. Ogadimma

    (College of Communication, University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates)

Abstract

The evolving tourism industry and increasing number of travelers are not only raising environmental concerns about tourism sites, but also posing challenges for local communities. In this scenario, the notion and agenda for sustainable tourism are widely criticized due to their limited scope and emphasis on creating a balance between economic and adverse environmental and communal benefits. In response, the call for a necessary paradigm transformation has become intense. Consequently, a new approach—regenerative tourism—has been developed to create awareness about pro-environmental behavior to satisfy the primary needs of the community. Regenerative tourism supports the quality of life of local people. Therefore, there is a great need to promote eco-literacy through innovative and better audience experience-laden communication strategies, such as immersive journalism and metaverse-based promotional content. However, little is known about how these future technologies interplay with psychological and social mechanisms to enhance regenerative tourism intention. Drawing an analogy from pro-environmental theory and media richness theory, this research intends to identify whether virtual, augmented reality merger (i.e., immersive journalism), and metaverse-based environmental delineations may contribute to educating tourists and lead to regenerative tourism intention. This research was carried out using a cross-sectional online survey that collected data from 776 digital media users from Pakistan who plan to visit a destination or have done so previously. The results from the data, based on structural equation modeling, suggested that immersive journalism and metaverse-based regenerative tourism promotion are communication strategies that effectively enhance eco-literacy and lead to pro-environmental behavior. However, dispositional empathy has critical moderating implications; the greater the extent of the empathy concerns that individuals uphold, the stronger the eco-literacy and pro-environmental behavior. Finally, regenerative tourism intention can be predicted by these antecedents effectively. Therefore, these pioneer results confirmed that innovative technology-driven media content can augment awareness of regenerative tourism activities and transform travelers’ intention to adopt regenerative practices during destination visits. This research suggests strategic guidelines for organizations and governments to implement practical, innovative, and communicative tools that support adopting regenerative practices among prospective travelers.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiaozhe Hui & Syed Hassan Raza & Sanan Waheed Khan & Umer Zaman & Emenyeonu C. Ogadimma, 2023. "Exploring Regenerative Tourism Using Media Richness Theory: Emerging Role of Immersive Journalism, Metaverse-Based Promotion, Eco-Literacy, and Pro-Environmental Behavior," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-20, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:6:p:5046-:d:1095363
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/6/5046/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/6/5046/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Umer Zaman & Inhyouk Koo & Saba Abbasi & Syed Hassan Raza & Madeeha Gohar Qureshi, 2022. "Meet Your Digital Twin in Space? Profiling International Expat’s Readiness for Metaverse Space Travel, Tech-Savviness, COVID-19 Travel Anxiety, and Travel Fear of Missing Out," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-19, May.
    2. Francesca Nocca & Martina Bosone & Pasquale De Toro & Luigi Fusco Girard, 2023. "Towards the Human Circular Tourism: Recommendations, Actions, and Multidimensional Indicators for the Tourist Category," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-22, January.
    3. William Black & Barry J. Babin, 2019. "Multivariate Data Analysis: Its Approach, Evolution, and Impact," Springer Books, in: Barry J. Babin & Marko Sarstedt (ed.), The Great Facilitator, pages 121-130, Springer.
    4. Alzubaidi, Hawazin & Slade, Emma L. & Dwivedi, Yogesh K., 2021. "Examining antecedents of consumers’ pro-environmental behaviours: TPB extended with materialism and innovativeness," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 685-699.
    5. Syed Hassan Raza & Umer Zaman & Moneeba Iftikhar & Owais Shafique, 2021. "An Experimental Evidence on Eco-Friendly Advertisement Appeals and Intention to Use Bio-Nanomaterial Plastics: Institutional Collectivism and Performance Orientation as Moderators," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-16, January.
    6. Małgorzata Kieżel & Paweł Piotrowski & Joanna Wiechoczek, 2019. "The Research on Sustainable Tourism in the Light of Its Paradigms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-21, October.
    7. Anthony Jnr, Bokolo, 2020. "Examining the role of green IT/IS innovation in collaborative enterprise-implications in an emerging economy," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Adelina Zeqiri & Issam Mejri & Adel Ben Youssef, 2024. "The Metaverse and Virtual Reality in Tourism and Hospitality 5.0: A Bibliometric Study and a Research Agenda," GREDEG Working Papers 2024-21, Groupe de REcherche en Droit, Economie, Gestion (GREDEG CNRS), Université Côte d'Azur, France.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Syed Hassan Raza & Umer Zaman & Paulo Ferreira & Pablo Farías, 2021. "An Experimental Evidence on Public Acceptance of Genetically Modified Food through Advertisement Framing on Health and Environmental Benefits, Objective Knowledge, and Risk Reduction," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-24, May.
    2. Al-Shaer, Habiba & Uyar, Ali & Kuzey, Cemil & Karaman, Abdullah S., 2023. "Do shareholders punish or reward excessive CSR engagement? Moderating effect of cash flow and firm growth," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    3. Khalil Nimer & Muath Abdelqader & Cemil Kuzey & Ali Uyar, 2024. "Emission targeting and carbon emissions: The moderating effect of female directors," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(4), pages 3480-3504, May.
    4. Nik Masdek Nik Rozana & Wong Kelly Kai Seng & Mohd Nawi Nolila & Sharifuddin Juwaidah & Wong Wang Li, 2023. "Antecedents of sustainable food waste management behaviour: Empirical evidence from urban households in Malaysia," Management & Marketing, Sciendo, vol. 18(1), pages 53-77, March.
    5. Nascimento, Lígia & Correia, Manuela Faia & Califf, Christopher B., 2024. "Towards a bright side of technostress in higher education teachers: Identifying several antecedents and outcomes of techno-eustress," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    6. Siying Chen & Zhixiong Tan & Maozhi Chen & Jingwei Han, 2024. "Knowledge Mapping of Tourism Footprint: A Bibliometric Review Based on CiteSpace," SAGE Open, , vol. 14(2), pages 21582440241, June.
    7. Yanqing Song & Han Bao & Shan Shen, 2022. "Understanding the Influence of Initial Values of College Students in Shaping Pro-Environmental Behavioral Intention," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-14, August.
    8. Qiu, Lili & Olaru, Doina & Purchase, Sharon, 2024. "Fostering strategic synergy: Empirical insights on aligning innovation activities with competitive strategies," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 208(C).
    9. Keerthi Police & Vikas Gautam & Sagar Chandakavate & Rishi Dwesar, 2024. "Modeling determinants of farmers’ purchase behavior: A case of chemical pesticides," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(4), pages 9217-9245, April.
    10. Cobelli, Nicola & Cassia, Fabio & Donvito, Raffaele, 2023. "Pharmacists' attitudes and intention to adopt telemedicine: Integrating the market-orientation paradigm and the UTAUT," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 196(C).
    11. Akın Aliye & Mutlu Hakan Tahiri, 2025. "Do Turkish physicians support euthanasia / death tourism?," European Journal of Tourism, Hospitality and Recreation, Sciendo, vol. 15(1), pages 23-35.
    12. Junika Napitupulu & Septony B. Siahaan & Sunday Ade Sitorus, 2023. "Renewable Energy and its Moderation on Green Home Selection in Indonesia: Bridging Environment, Product, and Value," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 13(6), pages 259-269, November.
    13. Bożena Gajdzik & Radosław Wolniak & Rafał Nagaj & Brigita Žuromskaitė-Nagaj & Wieslaw Wes Grebski, 2024. "The Influence of the Global Energy Crisis on Energy Efficiency: A Comprehensive Analysis," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(4), pages 1-51, February.
    14. Mohammad Dalvi-Esfahani & Mehrbakhsh Nilashi & Rabab Ali Abumalloh & Ramayah Thurasamy & Muhammad Shakil Ahmad, 2025. "Investigating the interrelationships between the barriers of green computing adoption: TISM-MICMAC-DEMATEL method," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 59(1), pages 507-570, February.
    15. Iversen, Endre Kildal & Dugstad, Anders, 2024. "Spatial dimensions in stated preference valuation: The role of place attachment," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 136(C).
    16. Zhen Zhang, 2024. "Exploring the green edge: the role of market orientation and knowledge management in achieving competitive advantage through creativity," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-16, December.
    17. Suen, Hung-Yue & Hung, Kuo-En, 2024. "Revealing the influence of AI and its interfaces on job candidates' honest and deceptive impression management in asynchronous video interviews," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 198(C).
    18. Shankar, Amit & Dhir, Amandeep & Talwar, Shalini & Islam, Nazrul & Sharma, Piyush, 2022. "Balancing food waste and sustainability goals in online food delivery: Towards a comprehensive conceptual framework," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    19. Lavan, Thusyanthy & Martin, Brett A.S. & Lim, Weng Marc & Hollebeek, Linda D., 2024. "Social isolation and risk-taking behavior: The case of COVID-19 and cryptocurrency," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    20. Kareem M. Selem & Muhammad Haroon Shoukat & Syed Asim Shah & Marianny Jessica Brito Silva, 2023. "The dual effect of digital communication reinforcement drivers on purchase intention in the social commerce environment," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-12, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:6:p:5046-:d:1095363. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.