Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
Virtual tourism, utilizing digital immersive technologies, enriches sensory perceptions and triggers physiological and cerebral responses, which builds upon physical travel-related undertakings, either on-site or off-site. This study conducted a grounded theory analysis, combining electroencephalogram (EEG) experiments and interviews in Asia, to unravel the intricate relationship between virtual tourism and participants' psychological well-being. Our findings reveal that individuals' well-being encompasses three levels and five dimensions: Natural Harmony (Emotion Refinement & Meaningful Connections), Self-Flourishing (Self-Realizing Gratification & Environmental Mastery), and Detached State (Flow). The study contributes to theorizing and understanding the constituents and mechanism underlying the development of individuals' psychological well-being through virtual tourism, shedding light on an area largely unexplored in tourism studies. This research informs post-pandemic tourism revival strategies, guides destination imagery reconfiguration, and optimizes service delivery, ensuring alignment with the holistic well-being of tourists.
Zhang et al. (Sun,) studied this question.