Exploring the impacts of virtual reality technology in sustainable tourism during the COVID-19

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the use of virtual reality (VR) as a tool for destination marketing of sustainable tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic. A questionnaire was administered to a sample of 249 students, who were shown a video about low-impact tourism in Vietnam using one of the two media types, namely VR and on-screen 2D. A structural model was proposed based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) and was estimated using the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) approach. The results provide evidence for VR to have a positive effect on travel intention through both higher perceived enjoyment and higher environmental involvement. However, these effects were observed to be not as significant when considering travel intention during the pandemic. While stronger telepresence achieved by VR may encourage users to engage in more sustainable behaviour and improve enjoyment from the experience, the avoidance to travel stemming from health and safety concerns amidst the pandemic greatly offset the effectiveness of VR as a marketing tool. The results highlight the importance of considering individual-level preferences in tourism.