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Journal of Resources and Ecology >

2024 , Vol. 15 >Issue 2: 474 - 483

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5814/j.issn.1674-764x.2024.02.022

Ecotourism

The Impact of Tourism Destination Factors in Video Games on Players’ Intention to Visit

  • YIN Shuhua , 1, 2 ,
  • CAI Tianyi 1 ,
  • TANG Chengcai , 1, 2, *
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  • 1. School of Tourism Sciences, Beijing International Studies University, Beijing 100024, China
  • 2. Research Center of Beijing Tourism Development, Beijing 100024, China
*TANG Chengcai, E-mail:

YIN Shuhua, E-mail:

Received date: 2023-07-21

  Accepted date: 2023-11-30

  Online published: 2024-03-14

Supported by

The Major Project of Art Science of National Social Science Foundation of China(20ZD02)

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Abstract

To deeply reach target markets and attract more tourists, a variety of media have been leveraged by tourism destination marketing organizations, particularly video games become a brand-new approach for destination marketing. With Assassin’s Creed: Unity as the research object, based on the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) model, this article analyses and presents the influences of tourism destination factors in video games on the players’ perception of tourism destination image and their intention to visit. In this case, a conceptual model has been built with game factors as the independent variable, tourism destination image as the mediating variable and the players’ intention to visit as the dependent variable. Moreover, Multiple Regression is used in the analysis, proving significantly positive effects of game experience, character attachment, and tourism destination image on players' intention to visit. Consequently this study provides research support for the combination of tourism destination marketing and video games.

Key words： tourism destination image; intention to visit; video games; game experience; character attachment; SOR model

Cite this article

YIN Shuhua , CAI Tianyi , TANG Chengcai . The Impact of Tourism Destination Factors in Video Games on Players’ Intention to Visit[J]. Journal of Resources and Ecology, 2024 , 15(2) : 474 -483 . DOI: 10.5814/j.issn.1674-764x.2024.02.022

1 Introduction

Nowadays, the destination marketing approaches are varying and developing with media evolution, from tourism advertising, tourism promo and micro film, placement marketing to short video, AR and VR. By integrating with literature, music, drama or film, video games occur as an extension of human society, and an important medium for cultural heritage and creation (Wu, 2007). Due to such cultural and creative features, video games have been widely leveraged by marketing organizations for placement advertising, including combination with destination marketing.
However, relevant studies and practices are still in an early stage while the potential influence of video games on tourism destinations are generally underestimated (Dubois and Gibbs, 2018). Nowadays destination marketing organizations are engaged in inputting destination factors into video games to seek new marketing opportunities and scenarios. Such video games as Far Cry New Dawn featuring scenic Montana in the U.S., Moonlight Blade in the western Hunan of China and Travel Frog living in Nagoya of Japan are consciously designed to promote tourism destinations and arouse favorable tourism destination image and players’ positive intention to visit.
A report from Newzoo shows 3.2 billion game players around the globe in 2022, among which 664 million players were active in China contributing to 265.884 billion yuan of market value. Considering this massive user base, high engagement and interactivity, video games highlight a broad prospect for relevant marketing.
Therefore with Assassin’s Creed: Unity as the research object, this study digs into the possibility that the players’ perception and impression on tourism destination factors in the game would affect their intention to visit, so as to strongly support marketing and communication strategies of destination marketing organizations.

2 Literature review and hypotheses

2.1 Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) model

In the 1970s, Russell and Mehrabian (1974) proposed the SOR model, which consists of three parts, namely stimulus, organism and response. As SOR-based researches show, human behavior would be stimulated by internal and external factors, intriguing individuals to make cognitive and emotional changes, and then have positive or negative behavioral tendencies. In the same way, the SOR model can also perfectly explain human purchasing behavior, and is frequently adopted in the research of consumer purchasing behavior. Since its creation decades of years ago, it has been widely used by domestic and foreign scholars to conduct various researches such as psychology and consumer behavior and achieved fruitful results. This study is aimed to study the relationship between game players’ travel intentions and the destination factors embedded in the game. In this case, the SOR model is highly consistent with the research focus of this study, underpinning theoretical basis for its application in this paper.

2.2 Game experience and intention to visit

In recent years, increasing video games feature real destination factors covering countries like Greece, cities like New York, Paris and Florence, landmarks, scenic spots like Zhangjiajie National Forest Park and Yu Garden, and famous buildings. Therefore, video games create a virtually immersive space and experience with a storyline, which are typical experience-driven products.
According to Zhang and Lei (2015), video games experience refers to cognitive and emotional reactions through interaction between the players and game factors in certain scenarios. Game experiences usually evoke the players’ gratification, enjoyment, empathy and immersion that is often mentioned in lots of studies. Narrative transportation as proposed by Green and Brock (2000) highlights persuasiveness of storytelling, which can induce individuals into virtual world and ignore their surroundings. Green and Brock (2000) also pointed out that narrative transportation could arouse intense emotion and empathy with story characters, changing people’s attitude with stronger persuasiveness. Because of higher immersion than other entertainments, video games can get the players more involved into the activities designed at the virtual tourism destinations to enhance their purchase desire, game experience and impression (Dubois et al., 2021). It’s turned out products and brands placed in immersive mass media and video games are more appealing to the users and trigger their preference (Nelson et al., 2006). A wonderful immersive experience can push active communication and handling of activity information, leading to deeper memory (Webster and Martocchio, 1993). The “immersion” is believed by Rainoldi et al. (2022) as an influential factor of the intention to visit. Therefore, video games and VR are capable to provide the players with substantive information on tourism destinations (Kim and Richardson, 2003) and stir up their social interaction and more purchase desire toward tourism destination.
Additionally, the attraction of video games stems from competitiveness, individuation and interactivity that is the amazingly key feature of games (Qiu and Huang, 2004). With higher impact index than traditional media (Weng, 2015), video games realize more engagement and interactivity with vividly virtual tour and interesting history about the tourism destination, resulting in the players’ better tourism experience and stronger intention to visit (Politopoulos et al., 2019). According to relevant researches, tourists tend to visit the real destinations they have experienced in the virtual world, e.g. video games (Sharma et al., 2023); and location-based AR games can affect the players’ intention to visit tourism destinations (Lacka, 2020).
In the opinions of Wu et al. (2015), migration- related videogames can affect people’s daily lives. Relevant studies have proven game contents and emotional impacts can shape the players’ actual behaviors. Poels et al. (2007) regarded videogames migration as one of game experiences or post-game experience, which has unignorable influence on the players.
In contrast, some studies showed high-performance game experience may undermine purchase desire in tourism destinations (Xu et al., 2013). For instance, Dubois et al. (2021) made a comparative research on tourism destination image between Far Cry 5 set in Montana, the U.S. and prints and movies, revealing more negative feedback from video games group than traditional media group.
There’s indeed an interactive relationship between game experiences and intention to visit no matter of positive impact on tourism intention or lower purchase desire. Hence, the first hypothesis (H1) is formed that game experiences influence the players’ intention to visit.

2.3 Character attachment and intention to visit

Game characters, as a key game factor, are important for players to explore their alter egos, self-presentation and existence in the virtual world. Captivating game characters are crucial to both the game and the players’ experiences. Based on the theory of para-social interaction, Lewis et al. (2008) proposed the concept of character attachment and evaluated emotional linkage between the players and their game characters through a special measurement table. Actually, many games enable the players as games characters to interact with the game environment (Li et al., 2013), driving the players’ character attachment that in turn impacts the players’ attitudes and behaviors.
Wang (2011) found out that players could develop an emotional attachment by playing as game characters. Focusing on seven reasons behind the players’ emotional attachment to game characters, the study of Bopp et al. (2019) confirmed emotional attachment is the core of character attachment. Under influences of games, the players tend to syncretize psychologically and ideologically with game characters and have character attachment (Bowman et al., 2012). On the other hand, studies on the Proteus effect showed the consistence between the players’ behaviors and their various game characters (Yee and Bailenson, 2007). From the perspective of behavioral motive, the players prefer to the game characters in line with their expectation in the real world (Huang and Liu, 2013), which is an important driving factor for character identity and character attachment. Rainoldi et al. (2022) believed connection with game characters is one of influencing factors on the players’ intention to visit. Therefore character identity and character attachment can affect the players’ cognition, attitudes and behaviors.
Moreover games prompt the players to reflect on morality, history, culture and way of living while offering a platform for them to virtually practice individual ideas (Li and Gao, 2021). With the motive to imitate game characters, the players hope to explore the in-game destinations like game character and finally bring out intention to visit (Dubois et al., 2021). As the result, the second hypothesis (H2) is proposed that character attachment can influence players’ intention to visit.

2.4 Connection among game experience, character attachment and tourism destination image

Players are usually led to different scenes and areas featuring particular tourism destination images in video games. For example, Assassin’s Creed: Unity has a very realistic portrayal of Notre Dame Cathedral; Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales includes some the iconic landmarks of New York; and Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in Hunan Province, China or San Francisco in the U.S. is often found in games. The tourism destination images serve as game backgrounds as well as the tools, tasks and challenges for the players. Since tourism destination images are indispensable to video games, the players must be closely linked with tourism destination, which is called Presence in video games by Richard Bartle and offers the major attraction for the players.
Presence in video games roots in interaction between players and tourism destinations, creating essential background and supporting conditions for game processes. In details, when trying to complete game tasks, plans or challenges in various scenarios and destinations, the players will observe and perceive the virtual surroundings, and gradually develop intimate relationship with their games characters, leading to spatial and emotional connection with these destinations. Such psychological identification and emotional changes exactly map place identity that is a significant dimension of place attachment.
Video games can influence the players’ perception of tourism destinations (Dubois et al., 2021). Moreover the players’ curiosity has a positive correlation with their perceptivity and cognition (Pace, 2004), which are essential to build up tourism destination images. Tourists who aspire for festival events would look forward to the festival destinations (Liang and Lin, 2023). Similarly, it’s found that video game players generate emotional attachment to in-game tourism destinations due to their perception and feeling in game-playing, which will gravitate the players to desire, visit or recommend these destinations with higher recognition and loyalty (Kim and Tussyadiah, 2013). The players who emotionally favor an in-game destination are more likely to recommend and positively talk about the destination (Sharma et al., 2023). Based on the study of Yüksel et al. (2017), video games that introduce Turkish culture and history successfully enhance the players’ knowledge and interests in Turkey as a tourism destination. Furthermore, the game experience and exploration of the tourism destinations can benefit the players from more efficient and better real-world travelling.
The tourist has experienced and explored a destination in games, he/she tends to spend less time visiting in the real world, which suggests a higher efficiency and a better experience. In view of the above, another two hypotheses are concluded as: game experience influences the players’ perception of tourism destination image (H3), and character attachment influences the players’ perception of tourism destination image (H4).

2.5 Correlation between destination image and intention to visit

Many early studies have confirmed the impacts of destination image on intention to visit, involving the driving force to formation of intention to visit, the tourists’ image perception impacting their affective image and intention to visit, and positive destination image arousing stronger intention to visit. The tourists who hold more positive attitude to destination image are more likely to choose and re-visit the relevant destination (Crompton and Ankomah, 1993). Moreover tourist attitude, emotion and satisfaction towards a destination is also subject to destination image.
The foresaid findings are also proven by the study of Loureiro and Jesus (2019). Destination image has a positive effect on intention to re-visit and recommend (Taghipourian et al., 2019). Destination images in E-games can influences the players’ intention to visit, attracting more and more tourists toward tourism destination in the real world (Sharma et al., 2023). In this case, the destination factors in E-games is an effective approach to promote tourism destinations and enhance tourists’ interests and intention to visit. Meanwhile social interaction designed in games enables the players to recommend the destinations by sharing virtual travel experience and feelings.
Since a lot of studies have shown the influence of destination image on tourists’ destination choice and decision behaviors (Xiang et al., 2017), the fifth hypothesis (H5) is made that tourists’ perception of destination image impacts their intention to visit.
In summary, overseas studies on E-games focus on the relationship among games, tourism destinations and intention to visit, game characters and post-game behaviors as well as effects of virtual tourism on destination image and intention to visit.
China’s studies on combination of E-games and tourism are carried out from three perspectives as follows: 1) Researches into gamification of tourism websites, scenic areas, et., including gamification of online marketing for tourism destinations (Yang, 2006), advantage analysis of online marketing for tourism destinations (Peng, 2008), the study on tourism experiences under E-games scenarios and virtual context (Feng, 2010), discussion on the types of virtual experience marketing based on E-games (Wang, 2011), the suggestions on improving immersion and entertainment of virtual tourism by enriching in-game Q&A activity and treasure hunting (Li et al., 2018), and models building and study for gamification tourism experience (Pan, 2021). 2) Studies on integration between E-games and tourism, such as the mechanism and realization of integrating E-games with tourism (Lu, 2009), and exploration into feasibility and possibility of interaction between E-games and tourism (Liang et al., 2007).
Generally speaking, the tourism marketing by E-games is seldom mentioned or deeply studied (Dubois et al., 2021; Ramírez-Moreno and Leorke, 2021).
Based on the above studies, the players engage with games through game experience and role-playing, which are major motives of game-playing.
Fig. 1 Research framework
Therefore, game experience and character attachment are defined as research dimensions in this article. In line with Stimulus Organism Response (SOR), the following study model is built with game experience and character attachment as the independent variables, destination image as the mediation variable and players’ intention to visit as the dependent variable.

3 Research methods

3.1 Variables and observation items

According to the literature review, the variables and observation items in this study include game experience, characters attachment, destination cognitive image, emotional image and intention to visit.
Based on the SOR model, the paper refines the independent variable and the intermediary variable into different dimensions. (Table 1)
Table 1 Variables and observation items
Variables Breakdown Source
Game
experience		 Usability/playability
Narratives
Enjoyment
Creative freedom
Audio aesthetics
Personal gratification
Social connectivity
Visual aesthetics		 Phan et al. (2016)
Character
attachment		 Character identity
Entertainment and social
Emotional projection		 Revision by Lewis et al. (2008) and Peng (2008), proposed by McCutcheon et al. (2002)
Cognitive
image		 History of the destination
Natural scenery
Accommodation
Folk custom
Cultural appeal
Entertainment		 Modification based on the study of Baloglu and McCleary (1999)
Emotional
image		 Sightseeing emotion in games
Intention to visit Must visit
Want to visit
Recommend to visit		 Scale used by Im and Chon (2008)

3.2 Questionnaire design

Targeting at Assassin’s Creed: Unity, the questionnaire is formulated with four parts and 20 observation items in view of measurement dimensions of the variables. A five-level Likert scale is employed for the measurement, covering seven questions about game experience design in Part 1, three questions about character attachment in Part 2, seven questions about destination image in Part 3, three questions about intention to visit in Part 4, and a demographic survey of players at the end.

3.3 Data source and descriptive analysis

3.3.1 Data source

From January 25 to February 5, 2023, a total of 360 questionnaires were distributed in a paid manner in the fan community of Du Gu yo Yang (The name of a game group) a Bilibili Assassin’s Creed uploader, and 360 copies were responded with a validity rate of 100%. Bilibili uploader Du Gu yo Yang has accumulated a number of fans with personal charisma and appeal due to years of focus on Assassin’s Creed. These respondents generally took the questionnaire seriously with very few invalid responses.

3.3.2 Descriptive analysis

A total of 360 valid questionnaires were collected in this study. The sample data have been descriptively analyzed in terms of gender, age, education, experience abroad, game time and the period from the last game. Here are respondents in details (Table 2)
Table 2 Descriptive statistics
Characteristics Level Frequency Percentage (%)
Gender Male 224 62.2
Female 136 37.8
Age 0-18 106 29.4
18-30 150 41.7
30-50 66 18.3
>50 38 10.6
Education degree Below high school education 135 37.5
College degree 90 25.0
Bachelor degree 113 31.4
Master degree 17 4.7
Above master degree 5 1.4
Overseas experience Yes 111 30.8
No 249 69.2
Play time <10 hours 31 8.6
10-30 hours 47 13.1
30-60 hours 92 25.6
>60 hours 190 52.8
Duration from the last game play <1 month 152 42.2
1-6 months 98 27.2
6 months-1 year 68 18.9
>1 year 42 11.7

4 Result analysis and hypothesis testing

4.1 Methods

SPSS and AMOS are adopted for data processing and analysis.

4.1.1 Reliability analysis

In this paper, Cronbach’s Alpha was used to calculate the reliability coefficient of each measurement tool. Specifically, the reliability coefficients of the game experience, character attachment, destination image and travel intention tool are 0.922, 0.845, 0.867 and 0.832 respectively. The following results show that the reliability coefficient of each measurement tool is higher than 0.7, suggesting a good internal consistency (Table 3).
Table 3 Reliability statistics
Variable Cronbach’s alpha Number of items
Game experience 0.922 7
Character attachment 0.845 3
Destination image 0.867 7
Intention to visit 0.832 3

4.1.2 Exploratory factor analysis

(1) KMO and Bartlett’s test
As SPSS was used for automatic calculation of game experience dimension, character attachment dimension and destination image dimension, the test values were all in line with normal expectations. This means that the following results of game experience, character attachment and destination image conform to normal distribution, suggesting that the statistics are highly reliable, representative and stable, thus suitable for factor analysis (Table 4).
Table 4 KMO and Bartlett’s test
KMO and Bartlett’s test Game experience Character attachment Destination image
KMO measure of sampling adequacy 0.938 0.729 0.912
Approximate Chi-square value 1589.358 445.357 1099.522
Degree of freedom 21 3 21
Significance <0.001 <0.001 <0.001
(2) Total variance test
The results show that principal component analysis (PCA) is effective in explanation of the three variables, e.g. game experience, character attachment and destination image. All of the first principal components provide useful information and adequately explain the variance of the original variables. So the measurement validity meets the requirements of the study (Table 5).
Table 5 Explanation of total variance
Factor Component Initial eigenvalues Extraction sums of squared loadings
Total Percentage of variance Cumulative (%) Total Percentage of variance Cumulative (%)
Game experience 1 4.774 68.203 68.203 4.774 68.203 68.203
2 0.474 6.773 74.976
3 0.411 5.87 80.846
4 0.373 5.331 86.176
5 0.357 5.1 91.277
6 0.328 4.684 95.96
7 0.283 4.04 100
Character attachment 1 2.291 76.36 76.36 2.291 76.36 76.36
2 0.371 12.383 88.743
3 0.338 11.257 100
Destination image 1 4.028 57.542 57.542 4.028 57.542 57.542
2 0.837 11.956 69.498
3 0.503 7.188 76.686
4 0.468 6.686 83.372
5 0.445 6.354 89.726
6 0.38 5.436 95.161
7 0.339 4.839 100

4.2 Main effect and mediation effect testing

4.2.1 Main effect testing

The R2 of M2 (the effect of the independent variables on the dependent variable) is 0.3885, bigger than 0.3, indicating high explained variance ratio of such variables as gender, age, education degree, overseas experience, play time, duration from the last gameplay, game experience and character attachment over the players’ intention to visit. In addition, game experience and character attachment show significant impacts on the players’ intention to visit at the 0.001 level with Beta coefficients of 0.3609 and 0.2435 respectively, both greater than 0. It’s obvious that game experience and character attachment can positively influence the players’ intention to visit after the effects of controlled variables (e.g. gender, age, education degree, overseas experience, play time and duration from the last gameplay) on the dependent variable are excluded (Table 6).
Table 6 Main effect and mediation effect testing
Characteristics Intention to visit (M1) Intention to visit (M2) Destination image (M3) Intention to visit (M4) Intention to visit (M5)
Gender ‒0.3236*** ‒0.2314*** ‒0.111* ‒0.2152*** ‒0.1907***
Age 0.0549 0.0643 ‒0.0463 0.0816 0.0813
Education degree 0.1005 0.0859 0.0569 0.0638 0.0651
Overseas experience ‒0.0855 ‒0.0699 ‒0.0367 ‒0.0583 ‒0.0564
Play time ‒0.0546 ‒0.0486 0.0236 ‒0.0637 ‒0.0573
Duration from the last game play 0.0080 0.0154 0.0266 0.0001 0.0056
Independent variable
Game experience 0.3609*** 0.3052*** 0.2493***
Character attachment 0.2435*** 0.2731*** 0.1436**
Mediation variable
Destination image 0.5303*** 0.3658***
R2 0.1345 0.3885 0.2772 0.4019 0.4852
F 9.1412 27.8756 16.8306 33.7841 36.6600

Note: Independent variables: game experience and character attachment; Mediation variable: destination image; Dependent variable: intention to visit; Parameters in the form of standardized coefficients: *P<0.05, **P<0.01, ***P<0.001.

4.2.2 Effects of the independent variable on the mediation variable

The R2 of M3 (the effect of the independent variables on the mediation variable) is 0.2772, close to 0.3, indicating high explained variance ratio of such variables gender, age, education degree, overseas experience, play time, duration from the last gameplay, game experience and character attachment over the tourism destination. In addition, game experience and character attachment show significant impacts on the tourism destination at the 0.001 level with Beta coefficients of 0.3052 and 0.2731 respectively, both greater than 0. Therefore, game experience and character attachment have remarkable positive impact on the tourism destination after the effects of controlled variables (e.g. gender, age, education degree, overseas experience, play time and duration from the last gameplay) on the mediation variable are excluded (Table 6).

4.2.3 Effects of the mediation variable on the dependent variable

The R2 of M4 (the effect of the mediation variable on the dependent variable) is 0.4019, greater than 0.3, indicating high explained variance ratio of such variables as gender, age, education degree, overseas experience, play time, duration from the last gameplay and destination image over the players’ intention to visit. In addition, destination image shows significant impacts on the players’ intention to visit at the 0.001 level with Beta coefficient of 0.5303, greater than 0. It’s obvious that destination image can positively influence the players’ intention to visit after the effects of controlled variables (e.g. gender, age, education degree, overseas experience, play time and duration from the last gameplay) on the dependent variable are excluded (Table 6).

4.2.4 Mediation effect testing

As M2 in the table 6 shows, game experience and character attachment have significant effects on the players’ intention to visit at the 0.001 level with Beta coefficients of 0.3609 and 0.2435 respectively, both greater than 0. It proves a significantly positive effect of game experience and character attachment on the players’ intention to visit. With destination image (M5: Mediation effect testing) considered in main effects, the obvious impacts on the players’ intention to visit are observed from game experience (β=0.2493, P<0.001), character attachment (β=0.1436, P<0.001) and destination image (β=0.3658, P<0.001). Hence, destination image has certain mediating effect in the relationship between game experience, character attachment and the players’ intention to visit (Table 6).
To further credibility analysis of mediating effect of destination image, Bootstrap is adopted to conduct 5000 repetitions of random sampling on the experimental data for verifying the mediating effect of destination image (see Table 7).
Table 7 Robustness testing of regression effect
Mediation route Effect type Effect size Standard error Lower confidence limit Upper confidence limit
Game experience→Destination image→Intention to visit Total effect 0.5163 0.0489 0.4201 0.6125
Direct effect 0.3272 0.0485 0.2317 0.4226
Indirect effect 0.1891 0.0345 0.1240 0.2583
Character attachment →Destination image→Intention to visit Total effect 0.3879 0.0456 0.2983 0.4775
Direct effect 0.2133 0.0440 0.1267 0.2998
Indirect effect 0.1746 0.0342 0.1113 0.2461
In impact path of game experience on intention to visit, destination image presents indirect effect size of 0.1891 with a confidence interval of [0.1240,0.2583] excluding 0, which suggests a significant indirect mediating effect. On the other hand, its direct effect is also confirmed by the direct effect size of 0.3272 and a confidence interval of [0.2317,0.4226] excluding 0. The result determines the certain mediating effect of destination image on the relationship between game experience and the players' intention to visit.
In view of the impact of character attachment on intention to visit, destination image contribute to obviously indirect mediating effect with the size of 0.1746 and a confidence interval of [0.1113,0.2461] excluding 0 as well as clear direct effect with the size of 0.2133 and a confidence interval of [0.1267,0.2998] excluding 0. Therefore, destination image also has certain mediating effect in the relationship between character attachment and the players’ intention to visit (Table 7).

5 Discussion and conclusions

5.1 Discussion

5.1.1 Theoretical contribution

Firstly, the study focuses on the influences of in-game tourism destinations on the players’ intention to visit. There’re some relevant researches, including interaction among cognitive image, affective image and conative image of tourism destinations in video games (Sharma et al., 2023) as well as the proposal of connection with game characters impacting the intention to visit (Rainoldi et al., 2022). In contrast, this study aims to explore how the players’ game experience and character attachment impact their cognitive & affective image of tourism destinations and intention to visit, which finally confirms their positive correlation.
Secondly till now, no other domestic studies have been carried out on relationship between games and intention to visit and tourism destination image. Noteworthily, this study finds out that tourism destination image works as a mediating role between game factors and the players’ intention to visit, contributing to a new research thinking and dimension in this research field.

5.1.2 Practical contribution

(1) Enrich video game experience is an important way for destination factors to influence players’ intention to visit.
Game experience is generally crucial to the players. Take Assassin’s Creed: Unity for instance, the players interact with NPCs when virtually wandering through streets and buildings of Paris. Its 1∶1 map, fantastic game production and French Revolution narrative exactly support combination of game experience with the players’ intention to visit. As the story gradually unfolds, their game experience is closely interwoven with game contents. This physically and psychologically full engagement that is further strengthened by imagination and association leads to an intensive interactivity and immersion (Steuer et al., 1995) and a memorable experience. In this case, the video game experience can contribute to perception and formation of the tourism destination image (Dubois et al., 2021). So it is feasible to improve the players’ perception of tourism destination image and intention to visit by enhancing game experience in terms of narratives, interaction, creative freedom, visual aesthetics and audio aesthetics.
(2) Elaborately designing game characters to empathize with players and be favored by players is another mean for video game to influence the intention to visit.
Role playing is an essential feature of video games (Huang and Liu, 2013), which is controlled by the players. Their empathy with game characters based on recognition and favor poses influence on both their perception of tourism destination image and intention to visit. The results of this study indeed prove that correlation with game characters is one of influencing factors on the intention to visit (Rainoldi et al., 2022). Therefore, designing and creating vivid game characters is vital for video games to attract the players, which refer to personality, charms and 3D fidelity elements like face, skin, hairstyle, costumes, accessories and even weapons. The players’ preference to game characters would stimulate their imitation and intention to visit the real tourism destinations.
(3) Creating as a positive destination image as possible has a significantly positive effect on players’ intention to visit.
Both previous and current research have shown tourism destination image can directly impact the intention to visit. This study further testifies that the players’ intention to visit is significantly affected by tourism destination image in video games. Therefore, the combination of the video game and destination should take into account the consistency of the projected image of destination and the perceived image of players in video game, and create as a positive image as possible in video game and give full play to the positive role of the players' perceived destination. Give full play to the positive role of the players’ perceived destination image in the intention to visit. This result is consistent with the positive correlation between in-game tourism destination image and the players’ intention to visit (Sharma et al., 2023).

5.2 Conclusions

This study takes Assassin’s Creed: Unity as an example and presents the influences of tourism destination factors in video games on the players’ perception of tourism destination image and their intention to visit. This case aims to enrich the theoretical achievement of destination marketing and consumer behavior. At the same time, it can provide some reference and practical solutions for tourism destination organizations and tourism enterprises. The study results show the following roles of tourism destination marketing: 1) The players’ game experience has a significantly positive effect on their perception of tourism destination image and intention to visit. 2) The players’ character attachment has a significantly positive effect on their perception of tourism destination image and intention to visit. 3) The players’ perception of tourism destination image has a significantly positive effect on their intention to visit.

5.3 Research limitations and suggestions

5.3.1 About limitations

(1) The study is confined to the relationship among role-playing games, tourism destination image and intention to visit. Assassin’s Creed: Unity as the research object is designed in the context of Paris, a famous tourism destination, pushing the players’ more attention on tourism destination factors. So the research findings are more likely to meet the presumptions.
(2) Due to limited length of the article, no specific study is made on the interaction between demographic factors (e.g. overseas experience and gender) with tourism destination image and intention to visit, which, however, should be further discussed.

5.3.2 Suggestions

(1) More different types of video games like non-role- playing games should be covered in the study to confirm the influences of in-game tourism destination factors on tourism destinations and the intention to visit. It’s also necessary to look into whether the relevance between game types and tourism destinations can enhance the players’ attention and perception of destination factors; and what game factors can affect the intention to visit.
(2) The research model may be improved with demographic statistics on the players, so as to discuss the interaction of demographic factors with tourism destination image and intention to visit; and then deepen relationship among game factors, player background, tourism destination image and intention to visit.

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