Is tourism live streaming a double-edged sword? The paradoxical impact of online flow experience on travel intentions

This study used a mixed method to investigate the dual effects of the flow experience provided by tourism live streaming (TLS) on tourists’ travel intentions and how such effects vary across different types of destinations. The results reveal that, in contrast to managers’ predictions, while flow experience from TLS may boost offline travel through inspiration, it can also increase tourists’ concern for substitutability and thereby reduce their travel intentions. Live streamers’ expertise positively moderates the positive effect of flow experience on inspiration. Furthermore, the negative impacts are more salient in highly reputable cultural destinations and natural destinations with limited reputation.