Does Sincere Social Interaction Stimulate Tourist Immersion? A Conservation of Resources Perspective

Abstract

Drawing on conservation of resources (COR) theory, this study examines how and when sincere social interaction affects tourist immersion at the destination. We develop a moderated mediation model in which emotional solidarity mediates the relationship between sincere social interaction and tourist immersion, while extraversion moderates the link between sincere social interaction and emotional solidarity. Data were collected from 391 tourists via an online survey and were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings indicate that sincere social interaction directly influences tourist immersion, and this relationship is mediated by emotional solidarity. Furthermore, extraversion significantly moderates the effects of sincere social interaction on emotional solidarity, and this effect is stronger for tourists with high extraversion scores. Additionally, extraversion strengthens the indirect link between sincere social interaction and tourist immersion, and again, the link is stronger for highly extraverted tourists.