Abstract
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>This research delves into the social and psychological determinants influencing digital detox behaviours of Indian tourists, filling in important gaps in knowledge regarding Digital Detox Tourism (DDT) in developing countries. Based on the Health Belief Model and Theory of Planned Behaviour, this research investigates how Perceived Health Benefits (PHB), Technology Fatigue (TF) and Social Influence (SI) affect Digital Detox Awareness (DDA), which in turn affects Digital Detox Intention (DDI). A purposive sampling design aimed at 375 Indian tourists from metro cities, and multiple regression and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) were used for analysing data to test hypothesised relationships. The findings support that PHB is the most predictive of DDA, then TF and SI, and DDA mediates the relationship between these predictors and DDI significantly. The results identify the key role of awareness in converting cognitive awareness of digital excess into action-oriented detox intention. This study provides actionable recommendations to tourism operators to create culturally appropriate detox activities and emphasises policymakers’ needs to create digital wellness standards, thus promoting digital well-being for India’s transformative tourism sector.</jats:p>