Omani Women&#039;s Satisfaction with Metaverse Tourism: The Effect of Digital Literacy, Travel Risk Perception, and Emotional Engagement on Satisfaction

Kukreti, Mohit; Ullah, Sami; Alalwi, Amal Sulman Saoud; Ekiz, Erdogan; Dangwal, Aarti

doi:10.22059/ijms.2025.398326.677794

Omani Women's Satisfaction with Metaverse Tourism: The Effect of Digital Literacy, Travel Risk Perception, and Emotional Engagement on Satisfaction

Articles in Press

Document Type : SI OBOROT2025

Authors

Mohit Kukreti ¹

Sami Ullah ²

Amal Sulman Saoud Alalwi ¹

Erdogan Ekiz ³

Aarti Dangwal ⁴

¹ University of Technology and Applied Sciences Ibri, Oman

² University of Central Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan

³ Central Asian University, Yashkent, Uzbekistan

⁴ Chitkara Business School, Chitkara University

10.22059/ijms.2025.398326.677794

Abstract

This study explores the potential of Metaverse tourism by addressing cultural and geographical barriers to traditional travel. Metaverse tourism may offer culturally appropriate experiences by enabling women to engage in global tourism virtually. Grounded in the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the research extends the framework to include emotional engagement and travel risk perception, offering a comprehensive understanding of user satisfaction in Metaverse tourism. Data were collected from 248 Omani women in a two-wave survey, analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results confirm that perceived ease of use and usefulness significantly enhance satisfaction, mediated by emotional engagement. Travel risk perception moderates this relationship, amplifying satisfaction when physical travel risks are high. The findings highlight that Metaverse tourism has the potential to support women's empowerment, aligning with Oman Vision 2040’s goals of digital inclusion and gender equality. The study advances TAM by integrating socio-cultural and emotional dimensions, providing a foundation for future research on Metaverse tourism in conservative societies. Limitations include the focus on a single demographic, warranting cross-cultural comparisons in future work.

Keywords

Metaverse Tourism

Emotional Engagement

Digital Literacy

Sustainability

Smart Tourism

Subjects