TY - GEN
T1 - Making It Personal
T2 - 32nd ENTER International eTourism Conference, ENTER 2025
AU - Lui, Tsz Wai
AU - Goel, Lakshmi
AU - El Bouchikhi, Yassine
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.
PY - 2025
Y1 - 2025
N2 - The study examines how immersive virtual experiences in the metaverse can foster environmental awareness and drive pro-environmental behavior intention. Using the interactionist theory of place attachment (ITPA) and situated cognition theory, we propose a research model highlighting how meaningful interactions in virtual environments can simulate attachment to places, which influences users’ cognitive and emotional engagement and sustainable behavioral intentions. We test this research model using the “Reef Migration” from theBlu, a virtual marine tour available on Steam. 300 Participants used a virtual reality headset to explore marine life and then answered a survey. A pre-recorded audio script was developed to provide information about the marine species and the threats they face, educating participants as they navigate the virtual tour. Our findings show that the metaverse’s sensory perceptions (telepresence and media richness) enhance location awareness, while technology affordance (ease of use and usefulness) increases task awareness. These immersive experiences evoke emotional responses and cognitive engagement, altering mental models and promoting sustainable behavior. The metaverse can bridge gaps in environmental education for those unable to access real-world environments due to constraints. By offering meaningful experiences, the metaverse fosters attachment to virtual places, influencing sustainable behaviors similar to real-world interactions.
AB - The study examines how immersive virtual experiences in the metaverse can foster environmental awareness and drive pro-environmental behavior intention. Using the interactionist theory of place attachment (ITPA) and situated cognition theory, we propose a research model highlighting how meaningful interactions in virtual environments can simulate attachment to places, which influences users’ cognitive and emotional engagement and sustainable behavioral intentions. We test this research model using the “Reef Migration” from theBlu, a virtual marine tour available on Steam. 300 Participants used a virtual reality headset to explore marine life and then answered a survey. A pre-recorded audio script was developed to provide information about the marine species and the threats they face, educating participants as they navigate the virtual tour. Our findings show that the metaverse’s sensory perceptions (telepresence and media richness) enhance location awareness, while technology affordance (ease of use and usefulness) increases task awareness. These immersive experiences evoke emotional responses and cognitive engagement, altering mental models and promoting sustainable behavior. The metaverse can bridge gaps in environmental education for those unable to access real-world environments due to constraints. By offering meaningful experiences, the metaverse fosters attachment to virtual places, influencing sustainable behaviors similar to real-world interactions.
KW - Marine Sustainability
KW - Metaverse
KW - Theory of Place Attachment
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105007248829
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105007248829#tab=citedBy
U2 - 10.1007/978-3-031-83705-0_22
DO - 10.1007/978-3-031-83705-0_22
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:105007248829
SN - 9783031837043
T3 - Springer Proceedings in Business and Economics
SP - 263
EP - 273
BT - Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2025 - Proceedings of the ENTER 2025 eTourism Conference
A2 - Nixon, Lyndon
A2 - Tuomi, Aarni
A2 - O'Connor, Peter
PB - Springer Nature
Y2 - 17 February 2025 through 21 February 2025
ER -
