Work recovery through virtual and real nature experiences: Employee perspectives

Abstract

While nature is known to support employee wellbeing, virtual leisure activities can also be utilised for work recovery. The study examines the role of virtual and real nature in employee recovery by using the experience economy framework. In this randomised crossover trial, with a qualitative approach, 57 employees visited real and virtual nature. The virtual visits in different types of nature environments were described as providing escapism, while in real nature, it was more difficult to detach from duties. However, in virtual nature, the breaks in immersion disturbed the recovery experience and most participants preferred real, multi-sensory nature. While virtual nature does not provide a similar sense of place to real nature, its special escapist attributes, such as new and accessible travel experiences, could be further utilised to enable recovery experiences. Therefore, this study calls for further assessment of how comprehensively virtual nature tourism supports recovery from work when compared to the benefits of visiting real nature and, furthermore, how the root causes of recovery needs should be addressed in tourism and experience industry.