Beyond Smartwashing: Why Digital Tourist Experiences Fail to Moderate the Value-Belief-Norm Pathway to Sustainable Travel

Eko Yuliawan; Sandi Noorzaman

doi:10.61255/jeemba.v4i5.1749

Authors

Eko Yuliawan GICI Business School Depok, Indonesia
Sandi Noorzaman GICI Business School Depok, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61255/jeemba.v4i5.1749

Keywords:

Smartwashing, Digital Tourist Experience, Environmental Awareness, Sustainable Travel Intention

Abstract

Purpose – This study examines whether digital tourist experiences mediate the relationship between smart tourism technologies and sustainable travel intention, while addressing the challenge of smartwashing through the Value-Belief-Norm (VBN) framework.

Design/methodology/approach – A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted with 168 visitors to Karimunjawa Island, Indonesia, who had experience using digital tourism platforms. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to examine the relationships among perceived usefulness of augmented reality guides, digital destination content quality, digital tourist experience, environmental awareness, and sustainable travel intention.

Findings/Results – The results reveal that the perceived usefulness of augmented reality guides significantly enhances digital tourist experiences, whereas digital destination content quality has no significant effect. Digital tourist experiences neither directly influence sustainable travel intention nor moderate the relationship between environmental awareness and sustainable travel intention. Instead, environmental awareness is the strongest predictor of sustainable travel intention, indicating an attitude–behavior gap and highlighting the limitations of technology-driven experiences in promoting sustainable behaviour.

Originality/Value – This study extends the VBN framework within the context of digital tourism by demonstrating that technological experiences alone are insufficient to encourage sustainable travel intentions. The findings provide practical implications for destination managers to combine smart tourism technologies with authentic environmental education and sustainability-oriented interventions, thereby reducing the risk of smartwashing and supporting meaningful sustainable tourism development.

Abstract views: 0 ,

PDF downloads: 0

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Ahmad, R. A. R., Khoiruman, M. A., & Uslan, U. (2026). Effectiveness of using digital-based interactive media in improving fifth grade elementary school students' English-speaking skills. International Journal of Educational Practice and Policy, 4(2), 233-251.

Brynjolfsson, E., & McAfee, A. (2014). The second machine age: Work, progress, and prosperity in a time of brilliant technologies. W. W. Norton & Company.

Cerdá-Mansilla, E., Tussyadiah, I., Campo, S., & Rubio, N. (2024). Smart destinations: A holistic view from researchers and managers to tourists and locals. Tourism Management Perspectives, 51, 101223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2024.101223

Dwivedi, Y. K., Hughes, D. L., Coombs, C., Constantiou, I., Duan, Y., Edwards, J. S., Gupta, B., Lal, B., Misra, S., & Prashant, P. (2020). Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on information management research and practice: Transforming education, work and life. International Journal of Information Management, 55, 102211. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102211

El Archi, Y., Benbba, B., Kabil, M., & Dávid, L. D. (2023). Digital technologies for sustainable tourism destinations: State of the art and research agenda. Administrative Sciences, 13(8), 184. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci13080184

El Archi, Y., Kabil, M., Benbba, B., & Dávid, L. D. (2023). Mapping the nexus between sustainability and digitalization in tourist destinations: A bibliometric analysis. Sustainability, 15(12), 9717. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129717

Gunawan, I., Ilyas, M. F. G. B., Azizurrohman, M., & Loreño, D. T. (2025). When smart destinations become sustainable: How technology and communication shape tourist satisfaction. Jurnal Kepariwisataan Indonesia, 19(2), 177–200. https://doi.org/10.47608/jki.v19i22025.177-200

Kane, G. (2019). The technology fallacy. Research-Technology Management, 62(6), 44–49. https://doi.org/10.1080/08956308.2019.1661079

Kane, G. C., Palmer, D., & Phillips, A. N. (2015). Strategy, not technology, drives digital transformation. MIT Sloan Management Review.

Karakose, T., Polat, H., Tülübaş, T., & Demirkol, M. (2024). A review of the conceptual structure and evolution of digital leadership research in education. Education Sciences, 14(11), 1166. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14111166

Khaw, T. Y., Teoh, A. P., Abdul Khalid, S. N., & Letchmunan, S. (2022). The impact of digital leadership on sustainable performance: A systematic literature review. Journal of Management Development, 41(9–10), 514–534. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMD-03-2022-0070

Khoiruman, M. A., Irawan, D. H., & Ahmad, F. (2026, June). The role of English language education in social media-based marketing strategies and global trends: Digital ethnography study. In International Conference on Humanity Education and Society (ICHES) (Vol. 5, No. 1).

Kusumawardhani, Y., Hilmiana, Widianto, S., & Azis, Y. (2024). Smart tourism practice in the scope of sustainable tourism in emerging markets: A systematic literature review. Cogent Social Sciences, 10(1), Article 2384193. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2024.2384193

Laachach, A., & Alhemimah, A. (2024). Influencing factors on tourists' intentions for sustainable tourism destinations: Moderating effects of financial constraints and moral reflectiveness. International Journal of Tourism Research, 26(5), e2772. https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.2772

Li, J., Coca-Stefaniak, J. A., Nguyen, T. H. H., & Morrison, A. M. (2024). Sustainable tourist behavior: A systematic literature review and research agenda. Sustainable Development, 32(4), 3356–3374. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.2859

Liu, Y., & Law, R. (2024). Digital tourism and smart development: State-of-the-art review. Sustainability, 16(23), 10382. https://doi.org/10.3390/su162310382

Matt, C., Hess, T., & Benlian, A. (2015). Digital transformation strategies. Business & Information Systems Engineering, 57(5), 339–343. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12599-015-0401-5

Mollah, A., Choi, J., Hwang, S., & Shin, J. (2023). Exploring a pathway to sustainable organizational performance of South Korea in the digital age: The effect of digital leadership on IT capabilities and organizational learning. Sustainability, 15(10). https://doi.org/10.3390/su15107875

Parviainen, P., Tihinen, M., Kääriäinen, J., & Helander, N. (2017). Tackling the digitalization challenge: How to benefit from digitalization in practice. International Journal of Information Systems and Project Management, 5(1), 63–77. https://doi.org/10.12821/ijispm050104

Rogers, D. L. (2016). The digital transformation playbook: Rethink your business for the digital age. Columbia University Press. https://doi.org/10.7312/roge17544

Ross, J. W., Beath, C. M., & Sebastian, I. M. (2017). How to develop a great digital strategy. MIT Sloan Management Review, 58(2), 7–9.

Teece, D. J. (2018). Business models and dynamic capabilities. Long Range Planning, 51(1), 40–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lrp.2017.06.007

Tigre, F. B., Curado, C., & Henriques, P. L. (2023). Digital leadership: A bibliometric analysis. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 30(1), 40–70. https://doi.org/10.1177/15480518221123132

Vial, G. (2021). Understanding digital transformation: A review and a research agenda. In Managing Digital Transformation (pp. 13–66). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003008637-4

Wang, T., Lin, X., & Sheng, F. (2022). Digital leadership and exploratory innovation: From the dual perspectives of strategic orientation and organizational culture. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 902693. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.902693

Westerman, G., Bonnet, D., & McAfee, A. (2014). Leading digital: Turning technology into business transformation. Harvard Business Review Press. https://books.google.com/books?id=Fh9eBAAAQBAJ

Yoo, Y., Boland, R. J., Lyytinen, K., & Majchrzak, A. (2012). Organizing for innovation in the digitized world. Organization Science, 23(5), 1398–1408. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1120.0771