The Effects of Psychological Ownership of Tourism Non-fungible Tokens (NFTs) on Tourist Behavioral Outcomes

Abstract

Digital technology has reshaped the concept of ownership in the digital realm. This study explores non-fungible tokens (NFTs) as innovative offerings from heritage sites, focusing on how psychological ownership of these digital assets influences tourists’ real-world behaviors. Four scenario-based experiments across different cultural heritage contexts demonstrate that psychological ownership of tourism NFTs (high-level vs. low-level) influences tourists’ visit intention and stewardship behavioral intentions. The mechanism involves the transfer of psychological ownership from tourism NFTs (the proximal target) to the original cultural heritage (the distal target), which subsequently leads to increased cultural heritage attachment. Furthermore, these effects are attenuated for individuals with a low construal level. These findings advance current knowledge on psychological ownership and NFT implementations in heritage tourism while providing practical guidance for heritage organizations to leverage NFTs.