Escaping modern routine: Experiential immersion as a regulatory mechanism in living history tourism

Abstract Living history tourism is traditionally framed through heritage preservation and educational interpretation, yet the mechanisms translating visitor motivation into behavioral intention remain insufficiently theorized. This study develops and empirically tests an integrated structural model combining escape motives, experiential immersion, authenticity construction, educational enrichment, and behavioral intention within a unified framework. Data were collected from 1066 visitors at Skansen (Sweden) between March 2025 and March 2026 using an on-site, self-administered questionnaire with voluntary participation. The sample included domestic and international visitors, predominantly aged 18–44, with high educational attainment. Structural equation modeling was applied. The results show that detachment-oriented motives strongly activate experiential immersion, which emerges as the central mechanism in the model. Immersion significantly strengthens perceptions of historical authenticity and represents the dominant predictor of behavioral intention, while educational motives exert a weaker but significant effect. Mediation analysis confirms that the influence of escape operates indirectly through immersion. The findings indicate that living history tourism functions primarily as an experiential environment enabling temporary disengagement from routine pressures. Although often framed as an educational domain, the results suggest that experiential engagement outweighs cognitive motives in shaping visitor behavior.