메타버스 관광체험(4Es)이 현지 방문의도에 미치는 영향: 관광지 호기심의 매개효과 및 MZ세대와 기성세대 간 차이 분석 = The impact of metaverse tourism experiences (4Es) on on-site visit intention: The mediating role of tourist curiosity and generational differences between MZ and older generations

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study applies the experience economy theory (4Es) to investigate the effects of metaverse tourism experiences on on-site visit intention, the mediating role of destination curiosity, and generational differences, thereby providing implications for revitalizing metaverse tourism in the post-pandemic era. A survey was conducted from December 9 to December 20, 2024, with 300 Korean adults who had prior metaverse tourism experiences. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 and AMOS 23.0 through structural equation modeling (SEM), bootstrapping, and multi-group analysis. The results reveal the following. First, the four experiential dimensions (entertainment, education, esthetics, and escapism) did not have significant direct effects on on-site visit intention, supporting prior research. Second, entertainment and educational experiences had significant positive effects on destination curiosity, whereas escapism and esthetic experiences did not. Thus, enhancing entertainment and educational experiences is essential for fostering visit intention. Furthermore, the mediating role of destination curiosity was confirmed in relation to educational experience, suggesting that expanding support for budgets, programs, and human resources constitutes the most effective strategy for promoting on-site visitation. Third, the effect of destination curiosity on visit intention was found to be stronger among older generations than the MZ generation. Therefore, redesigning metaverse tourism content to reflect the values and ethical consumption orientation of the MZ generation is proposed as a strategy to encourage their on-site visits.