What makes ecotourism sustainable? Mediating roles of perceived environmental responsibility and ecotourism destination characteristics

This study responds to the complex relationships between Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), Perceived Environmental Responsibility (PER) and Ecotourism Destination Characteristics (EDC). Conceptualization of the relationship is based on the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) framework and Value-Belief-Norm Theory. To address the developmental issues in sustainable tourism, data were collected from experienced ecotourists using a structured questionnaire consolidated from established scales. After statistical purifications 457 responses were processed to final analysis via Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN). Results revealed that adoption of VR and AR technologies significantly enhances PER, which in turn positively influences sustainable practices in ecotourism. The mediation analysis confirmed that the impact of VR and AR technologies on sustainable practices is fully transmitted through these two constructs. Furthermore, the ANN model exhibited superior predictive accuracy. The findings highlight the theoretical, practical, and social potential of immersive technologies in driving sustainable behaviour and improving destination management in ecotourism, while suggesting avenues for future research to explore additional contextual factors and long-term impacts.