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Inspiration and pro-environmental behaviour in virtual nature-based tourism.

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Title: Inspiration and pro-environmental behaviour in virtual nature-based tourism.
Authors: Liu, Biqiang1 (AUTHOR) biqiangliu@um.edu.mo, Moyle, Brent2,3 (AUTHOR), Kralj, Anna2,3 (AUTHOR), Leung, Daniel4 (AUTHOR)
Source: Journal of Sustainable Tourism. May2026, Vol. 34 Issue 5, p1373-1402. 30p.
Subject Terms: *Environmental protection, *Ecotourism, Inspiration, Green behavior, Virtual reality, Immersive design
Abstract: The natural environment is facing deterioration, yet little is known about how immersive nature-based VR tourism experiences cultivate pro-environmental behaviours. Grounded in the transmission model of inspiration, this research seeks to assess whether and how virtual nature-based tourism experiences can inspire tourists to engage in pro-environmental behaviours over time. Using a sequential mixed-methods approach, Study 1 developed a VR nature-based tourism environment and examined its epistemic activation central to the inspiration process through both self-report and biosensor measures. Study 2 surveyed 253 participants, finding that the virtual nature-based tourism experience sparked inspiration (the inspired-by process), which subsequently led to increased pro-environmental behavioural intentions (the inspired-to process). Furthermore, the moderation analysis indicated that the impact of virtual nature exposure is more pronounced for tourists with a strong internal locus of control or with minimal prior experience with VR technology. Beyond behavioural intentions, actual pro-environmental behaviours were assessed at baseline (T1) and one month later (T2), showing a higher frequency of such behaviours at T2 compared to T1. This research advances theoretical understanding of inspiration within virtual tourism experiences and articulates the potential of immersive technology to foster pro-environmental behaviours, providing nuanced insights for tourism professionals seeking innovative approaches to promote conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Sustainable Tourism is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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  Data: Inspiration and pro-environmental behaviour in virtual nature-based tourism.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Sustainable+Tourism%22">Journal of Sustainable Tourism</searchLink>. May2026, Vol. 34 Issue 5, p1373-1402. 30p.
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  Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Environmental+protection%22">Environmental protection</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ecotourism%22">Ecotourism</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Inspiration%22">Inspiration</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Green+behavior%22">Green behavior</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Virtual+reality%22">Virtual reality</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Immersive+design%22">Immersive design</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: The natural environment is facing deterioration, yet little is known about how immersive nature-based VR tourism experiences cultivate pro-environmental behaviours. Grounded in the transmission model of inspiration, this research seeks to assess whether and how virtual nature-based tourism experiences can inspire tourists to engage in pro-environmental behaviours over time. Using a sequential mixed-methods approach, Study 1 developed a VR nature-based tourism environment and examined its epistemic activation central to the inspiration process through both self-report and biosensor measures. Study 2 surveyed 253 participants, finding that the virtual nature-based tourism experience sparked inspiration (the inspired-by process), which subsequently led to increased pro-environmental behavioural intentions (the inspired-to process). Furthermore, the moderation analysis indicated that the impact of virtual nature exposure is more pronounced for tourists with a strong internal locus of control or with minimal prior experience with VR technology. Beyond behavioural intentions, actual pro-environmental behaviours were assessed at baseline (T1) and one month later (T2), showing a higher frequency of such behaviours at T2 compared to T1. This research advances theoretical understanding of inspiration within virtual tourism experiences and articulates the potential of immersive technology to foster pro-environmental behaviours, providing nuanced insights for tourism professionals seeking innovative approaches to promote conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Sustainable Tourism is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
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        Value: 10.1080/09669582.2025.2561010
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 30
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      – SubjectFull: Environmental protection
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Ecotourism
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Inspiration
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Green behavior
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Virtual reality
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      – SubjectFull: Immersive design
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      – TitleFull: Inspiration and pro-environmental behaviour in virtual nature-based tourism.
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            NameFull: Liu, Biqiang
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            NameFull: Moyle, Brent
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            NameFull: Kralj, Anna
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            – D: 01
              M: 05
              Text: May2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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