DIGITAL-FREE TOURISM INTENTION: THE EFFECTS OF MESSAGE CONCRETENESS AND INTERVENTION

Abstract

Digital-free tourism is an emerging trend that limits tourists’ access to information and communication technologies during vacations. However, how to motivate tourists to engage in digital-free tourism is not yet understood. Anchoring on Construal Level Theory and educational intervention, this study examines the effects of message concreteness and intervention type on tourists’ intention to take digital-free tourism. Experimental data from 249 respondents showed that when factual intervention was provided, tourists were more likely to engage in digital-free tourism when they received abstract messages instead of concrete messages. Our findings can contribute to the design of promotional messages for digital-free tourism.