Discussion of Purchasing Virtual Digital Nature and Tourism

*Hiroko Oe and Yasuyuki Yamaoka*

## **Abstract**

This chapter discusses the potential and prospects of consumers purchasing virtual digital nature and smart tourism. During the lockdown period, people experienced a trend toward increased subjective well-being as a result of their familiarity with the digital nature. In order to academically validate these experiences, this study examines how interaction with nature in the digital environment stimulates new consumer behavior in post-pandemic life. The study will apply structural equation modeling (SEM) to 300 data collected through a questionnaire to develop the discussion, with a particular focus on the mediating effects of digital forest bathing. The results show that digital forest bath ing has a mediating effect in stimulating people's environmentally oriented behavior, and that the more active they are in digital space and interact with others, the more consumers enjoy interacting with nature in cyberspace and, in turn, the more willing they are to commune with digital nature through smart tourism. This can be expected to provide an effective reference for marketing strategies that contribute to the promotion of smart tourism in the age of symbiosis with COVID.

**Keywords:** nature, digital well-being, smart tourism, purchase intention, a quantitative approach, consumer behavior, post-COVID era

## **1. Introduction**

### **1.1 Background of the study**

During the lockdown, those of us who felt trapped seemed to be more willing than ever before to share our experiences of interaction in digital space and to engage with nature in virtual space. This seems to suggest, once again, that it is worth discussing the impact of our engagement with nature in digital space on our physical and mental health. Moreover, furthermore, the interest and fascination with virtual contact with nature in cyberspace suggest the possibility of smart tourism with interaction with digital nature at its core.

It is said that there is a program hidden in our DNA. This is known as "biophilia" and became more widely known when the renowned biologist E.O. Wilson described it as an innate fascination with life and vital activity [1]. The possibilities and prospects for virtual engagement with nature and smart tourism, which this chapter

focuses on, are easier to understand if the discussion is based on this concept of biophilia. No matter how urban our lives are, an encounter with nature can stop us in an instant. According to Wilson, biophilia is defined as the accumulation of genes as a result of early humans struggle to survive in the wild, interwoven with the wisdom and experience to interpret sounds and smells, to know what to do when the weather changes and to survive [2].

#### **1.2 Research gap and aim of the study**

Today, our daily life consists of a combination of the physical and cyber environment. It is well known that contact with nature has a positive impact on our well-being, and the restrictions on behavior caused by blockades brought about by COVID have had a significant impact on various industrial and economic sectors.

And the "New Normal" transition is also creating new business opportunities for socio-economic activities. The field of digital tourism, which this chapter discusses, is one genre that is expected to flourish. Originally, contact with nature was suggested to support emotional well-being, reduce stress, improve concentration, and ease heart rate and hypertension [3]. This is where the theme of interaction with nature, not only in real contexts but also virtually, contributes to the creation of new business opportunities.

Already, online fitness packages, health promotion programs, cooking, and language learning are examples of online businesses that companies are entering and users are beginning to enjoy the benefits of these services. We are beginning to see the products of virtual experiences in cyberspace.

Under this circumstance, digital tourism is attracting the interest of researchers and practitioners as a potential field, but there are still not many examples of in-depth examinations based on the attitudes and expectations of actual consumers.

This chapter explores how digital forest bathing and other digital behaviors and interactions affect people's affinity for virtual nature and how they influence their purchasing intentions for smart tourism.
