The use of gamification in environmental interpretation and its effect on customer-based destination brand equity: The moderating role of psychological distance

This study seeks to contribute to the literature dealing with the formation of customer-based destination brand equity (CBDBE) using an environmental interpretation strategy. It aims to establish whether (i) participation in an environmental interpretation experience with a gamified design may exert a greater effect on CBDBE than participation in a non-gamified version; (ii) CBDBE is influenced by the tourist's psychological distance relative to the destination in question; and (iii) psychological distance moderates the effect of environmental interpretation (gamified vs. non-gamified) on CBDBE. A quasi-experiment is designed in which the environmental interpretation is manipulated (gamified vs. non-gamified). The results show that the effect of a gamified environmental interpretation experience on CBDBE is greater than that of a non-gamified version; and that it is greater among participants who perceive the destination to be psychologically near. The study also finds that there is a regulatory construal fit between the use of a gamified design and psychological distance, such that perceived psychological distance exerts a moderating effect on the relationship between interpretation type (gamified vs. non-gamified) and CBDBE. It is identified that, when the destination is perceived to be psychologically distant, the gamified environmental interpretation generates significantly greater CBDBE than the non-gamified version. By contrast, when it is psychologically near, there are no significant differences in CBDBE between a gamified and a non-gamified environmental interpretation experience. These results are relevant both for the literature and for the professional tourism sector, which, by its very nature, operates in an international context.