"Dialogue"through Time and Space:Imagination Inspiration and Travel Intentions in the Digitalization of Cultural Heritage
Advances in digital technology have enabled tourists to experience cultural heritage in unprecedented ways.Museums and tourist destinations use immersive visualization and three-dimensional reconstruction technologies to allow tourists to speak to history from a first-person perspective without the constraints of time and space and to experience cultural resonance across millennia.The core of virtual tourism lies in imagination,which not only helps tourists understand and interpret cultural heritage but also deepens the meaning of travel.However,further research is needed on the role of imagination in the context of digital tourism and how tourists understand,construct and integrate cultural heritage through imagination,which in turn influences their behaviour.This paper focuses on the core role of imagination in immersive experience and takes the digital Museum of Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site as a case study to construct a theoretical model of how the digital display of cultural heritage affects travel intention through imagination.This analysis is conducted through an empirical test that combines partial least squares structural equation modelling(PLS-SEM)and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis(fsQCA)to explore how digital displays of cultural heritage stimulate tourists'imagination and how tourists achieve their own connection with cultural heritage through imagination.The findings are as follows.1)The PLS-SEM results revealed a causal relationship between antecedent conditions:features of virtual tourism(information,ease of use,and interactivity)significantly stimulate imagination,while imagination positively and directly affects travel intention and,at the same time,positively affects travel intention through the mediating variable of learning benefit.2)The results of the fsQCA analyses yielded 2 sets of antecedent constructs(i.e.,the content quality group and the mental imagery group)and 2 core variables(i.e.,ease of use and learning benefit)that led to high travel intentions.Of these,the content quality group had the highest consistency.The empirical research identified key strategies for virtual tourism marketing with a focus on engaging tourists'imagination to blend reality with virtuality.It advocates for digital scenarios that use narrative pacing and"blank area"to create an immersive environment that allows tourists to connect deeply with cultural heritage across time.The research also stresses the need to improve the quality of virtual content with accurate,diverse information presented through high-quality multimedia and virtual reality/augmented reality technologies.This approach aims to recreate historical moments to produce a tangible experience.User experience is key,with streamlined operations and interfaces that encourage imagination and engagement enhanced by interactive elements such as virtual avatars and multiuser functionalities.Finally,this study promotes a synergistic approach between learning and imagination by suggesting that educational,immersive experiences can improve tourists'understanding of and interest in cultural heritage,thereby increasing their intention to visit in person and enriching the overall digital tourism experience.This paper provides a decision basis for the creation of new immersive tourism experiences that can"revitalize"cultural and tourism resources while realizing the complementary and integrated development of online and offline tourism consumption.
virtual tourismimaginationlearning benefittourism intentionsEmperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum
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