ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF VIRTUAL REALITY MARKETING (VR) ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AND THE TOURIST EXPERIENCE /
CASE STUDY OF JORDAN- AMMAN
RABAH AHMAD REBHI KHALEEL; SUPERVISOR: DR. MARJAN KAMYABI
- ix, 84 sheets; 31 cm. 1 CD-ROM
Thesis (MSc) - Cyprus International University. Institute of Graduate Studies and Research Tourism and Hotel Management Department
Includes bibliography (sheets 70-78)
ABSTRACT Rapid changes in the role of new technologies in the tourism industry have paved the way for the creation of customer interactions through the promotion of travel destinations using virtual reality. By enhancing participation and expanding experience co-creation in an interactive and simulated environment, technological advancements like virtual reality (VR) enable travelers to attain a more singular travel experience. Although the VR has drawn more attention and been used as marketing and consumer interaction medium in the hotel and travel industry, a few of studies has been done on how well VR works and how it affects the viability of sustainable tourism. This present study reviews Virtual Reality and how it impacts sustainable tourism and also, it’s influence on tourists behavioral Intentions. The utilization regarding virtual realities is expected to leave a consequence on the traveling experience on the actual day, in besides of focusing on the consequence of travel motives, which has generally controlled in reality. This study is quantitative and questionnaire based, reviewing responses from a respondent of N=460. For the analysis, this study gathered data from tourists answering an online questionnaire concerning virtual reality software and tourism terms. The SPSS was used for the analysis of the gathered responds. The study strengthened and supported given hypotheses with conclusions showing that many people who use tourism-related technology like virtual reality view their use of these tools as an expression of their passion for travel and exploration. Two significant motifs that may be present in VR tourism were uncovered as a result of the research. These are its intriguing capabilities and the broad impact it has on tourists, independent of the community, a behavioral intention that affects decisions regarding destination visits and return visits. The research findings suggest that Virtual Reality tools does have a positive influence related to sustainable tourism as well as it does impact a positive behavioral intention to visit or return from a destination. Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality, Photogrammetry, Smart Tourism, Sustainability, Virtual Reality.