Restorative Environmental Perception’s Influence on Post-Tour Behavior of Desert Off-Road Self-Driving Tourists: The Mediating Role of Flow Experience

Abstract

Desert tourism has always been one of the main types of adventure tourism in the world. Restorative environmental perception and flow experience are closely related concepts in adventure activities, but few studies have examined the mechanisms of their effects on tourists’ post-tour behaviors. Desert off-road self-driving tours, as a typical adventure tourism project, are suitable for studying the relationships among three factors. We chose the Kumutag Desert as our study area, as it attracts many off-road self-driving tourists every year. Based on SOR theory, data were collected through questionnaires, and partial least squares structural equation models were constructed using SmartPLS 3.0 software. It was found that (1) restorative environmental perception has a direct positive impact on visitors’ flow experiences; (2) flow experience has a direct positive influence on tourists’ revisit behaviors and recommendation behaviors; (3) novelty, escape, fascination, and compatibility in restorative environmental perception have a direct positive influence on tourists’ post-tour behaviors; (4) flow experience partially mediates the relationships among novelty, escape, fascination, compatibility, and post-tour behavior. This article deepens the understanding of the mechanism by which restorative environmental perception and flow experience affect tourists’ post-tour behaviors while expanding the scope through three studies and providing theoretical support for subsequent research on adventure tourism.