<![CDATA[Purpose – This study examines whether digital tourist experiences mediate the relationship between smart tourism technologies and sustainable travel intention, while addressing the challenge of smartwashing through the Value-Belief-Norm (VBN) framework. Design/methodology/approach – A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted with 168 visitors to Karimunjawa Island, Indonesia, who had experience using digital tourism platforms. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to examine the relationships among perceived usefulness of augmented reality guides, digital destination content quality, digital tourist experience, environmental awareness, and sustainable travel intention. Findings/Results – The results reveal that the perceived usefulness of augmented reality guides significantly enhances digital tourist experiences, whereas digital destination content quality has no significant effect. Digital tourist experiences neither directly influence sustainable travel intention nor moderate the relationship between environmental awareness and sustainable travel intention. Instead, environmental awareness is the strongest predictor of sustainable travel intention, indicating an attitude–behavior gap and highlighting the limitations of technology-driven experiences in promoting sustainable behaviour. Originality/Value – This study extends the VBN framework within the context of digital tourism by demonstrating that technological experiences alone are insufficient to encourage sustainable travel intentions. The findings provide practical implications for destination managers to combine smart tourism technologies with authentic environmental education and sustainability-oriented interventions, thereby reducing the risk of smartwashing and supporting meaningful sustainable tourism development.]]>
