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The Effects of Virtual Reality on Destination Image Formation

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Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2019

Abstract

The mental image potential visitors have of a destination is a critical factor when making travel decisions. Research has shown that destination image formation correlates with users’ involvement with a device or platform, such as virtual reality (VR). While the impact of VR on the formation of a destination image has only received limited attention, literature suggests that the use of VR could have a positive influence on destination image. This study set out to examine the impact of VR on the formation of a destination image in comparison to an identical video viewed on a computer. An experiment with a post-user survey was conducted. The analysis confirms that the higher levels of involvement through using VR goggles do have a positive correlation with destination image formation. For destination marketing, this study suggests VR as a tool to positively influence the image of a destination.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Salzburg University of Applied Sciences, Puch bei Hallein, Austria

    Ashelle McFee, Tanja Mayrhofer, Andrea Baràtovà, Barbara Neuhofer, Mattia Rainoldi & Roman Egger

Authors
  1. Ashelle McFee
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  2. Tanja Mayrhofer
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  3. Andrea Baràtovà
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  4. Barbara Neuhofer
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  5. Mattia Rainoldi
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  6. Roman Egger
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Barbara Neuhofer .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Business School, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland

    Juho Pesonen

  2. Faculty of Informatics, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria

    Julia Neidhardt

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McFee, A., Mayrhofer, T., Baràtovà, A., Neuhofer, B., Rainoldi, M., Egger, R. (2019). The Effects of Virtual Reality on Destination Image Formation. In: Pesonen, J., Neidhardt, J. (eds) Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2019. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05940-8_9

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