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In the post-Covid era, with the growing need for mental wellness, there is a rising demand for virtual tourism and virtual experiential tourism. This study attempts to contribute to the domain of virtual experiential tourism by examining different gratifications and multisensory experiences that affect tourists’ responses (affective and cognitive) and finally patronage intention. This study has utilized a mixed-method approach. To test the proposed conceptual model, 310 responses received from a quantitative survey were tested using structural-equation-modelling technique. Second, results were validated through a qualitative study. Results of the analysis show the significant impact of different gratifications on the different responses. Findings also show a significant impact of each response (affective and cognitive) on patronage intention. This study has also found a significant moderating impact of extraversion on the relationship between the responses with patronage intention. This study provides several implications for academia and industry.
Ray et al. (Mon,) studied this question.