Tourists’ digital twin experience, place attachment and behavioral intentions in historical-cultural heritage

Purpose The study aims to explore the effect of destination digital twin (DT) experience on place attachment, tourists' intention to visit, and tourists' environmentally responsible behavior (TERB) in historical-cultural heritage sites. Design/methodology/approach This study utilizes a quantitative research approach. Data were gathered through online and offline surveys from 212 tourists who visited Naqsh-e Jahan, one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites, through online and offline surveys. Furthermore, structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed for data analysis. Findings The findings show that DT experience dimensions (interactivity, informativeness, joyfulness and authenticity) are associated with place attachment, intention to visit and TERB. Additionally, place attachment positively and partially mediates the relationship between DT experience, visit intention and TERB. Practical implications The results indicate that heritage destination managers and digital tourism developers should design DT experiences that combine informative content, authentic representations, emotional engagement and interactive features in order to strengthen tourists' place attachment and encourage environmentally responsible behavior before on-site visitation. Originality/value This study contributes to enhancing digital experiences in historical-cultural heritage tourism by conceptualizing the multidimensional DT experience. The SEM findings support a model in which DT strengthens tourists' place attachment, both virtually and physically and confirm that place attachment partially mediates the relationship between DT experience (interactivity, informativeness, joyfulness and authenticity) and tourists' environmentally responsible behavior in sustainable historical-cultural tourism.