Virtual Journeys, Real Benefits: Understanding the Nexus Between Innovativeness, VR Travel, and Quality of Life

Abstract

This study investigates the relationships among virtual reality (VR) traveler innovativeness, VR travel experience, and perceived quality of life. Drawing on online survey data from [A1.1][A1.2]544 respondents recruited via Prolific, confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to establish construct reliability and validity, followed by structural equation modeling to test the hypothesized relationships. The results show that innovativeness significantly enhances VR travel experience, which in turn positively affects perceived quality of life, supporting an indirect, experience-based mechanism. At the dimensional level, novelty seeking and hedonic experience seeking emerge as the primary drivers of innovativeness, while esthetics and entertainment contribute most strongly to VR travel experience, with escapism playing a comparatively weaker role. These findings advance the understanding of VR tourism by identifying innovativeness as a key antecedent of experiential outcomes and highlighting VR travel as a meaningful leisure activity that can promote well-being beyond physical tourism contexts. Practically, the results suggest that VR travel developers and marketers should tailor experiences to innovative users by emphasizing novelty and hedonic engagement, promote quality-of-life benefits as a key value proposition, and strengthen immersive features to enhance user engagement and overall experience quality.