Abstract
Through the lens of positive psychology and deploying a longitudinal field study and a lab study with consumers, this research aims to examine the role of Virtual Reality in prolonging the positive effect of a vacation experience on both hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing. The findings detail that wellbeing changes over the course of a vacation and the type of vacation. Scholars have previously outlined that the positive wellbeing outcomes from a vacation often have a limited lasting effect as affirmed by this research. Through the lens of presence theory, this research finds that a related Virtual Reality vacation experience following a vacation has a positive effect on boosting wellbeing and thus prolonging the positive wellbeing effects of a vacation.
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•A field study and a lab study examine wellbeing over the duration of a vacation.•The study affirms the role of hedonia and eudaimonia in tourists' wellbeing.•A related VR experience can prolong positive tourist wellbeing post-vacation.•A related VR experience can enhance both hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing.•A related VR experience can moderate the wellbeing drop-down process.