The tourism industry is increasingly adopting digital innovations to enhance consumer engagement and improve communication. Virtual reality (VR) has attracted attention as a tool capable of delivering immersive experiences and supporting cost effective destination promotion. Despite this growing interest, empirical evidence on demographic differences in the use and perception of VR in tourism remains limited, particularly in large international and cross-continental samples. This study examines how gender, age, and continent of residence influence experience with VR technologies and attitudes towards their use in tourism. The analysis focus on user experience, satisfaction, and willingness to adopt VR-based tools instead of traditional methods. Potential economic and sustainability implications are also considered. The study is based on an international online survey of 2,003 respondents. Data were collected using Likert-scale items, with nonparametric statistical methods applied in the analysis. The results indicate significant differences related to continent of residence and age in prior VR experience and preferences for VR-based tourism tools, while gender differences are less pronounced. Overall, the findings suggest that VR may contribute to more effective tourism promotion. The study has several limitations, including convenience sampling, possible selfselection bias, and the use of single-item measures. The paper provides empirical insights into the role of VR in tourism promotion and highlights directions for future research, particularly the need to include behavioural and economic performance indicators such as conversion rates, efficiency measures, cost-benefit analysis, and sustainability outcomes.
Institute insights
The study’s findings indicate that virtual reality (VR) holds significant potential as a valuable tool to enhance the decision-making process in tourism promotion. Participants generally expressed a positive outlook on VR as a promotional medium. The immersive nature of virtual tours allows users to virtually explore destinations before making travel decisions, which contributes to the positive perception of these locations. These results align with previous research that emphasizes VR’s role in managing expectations and reducing uncertainty in the decision-making process [38, 22]. Notably, respondents showed a strong preference for using VR in travel agencies over traditional methods, as evidenced by a mean score of 4.42 ± 0.82 on a five-point scale.
This indicates a high level of acceptance of VR technology. Interestingly, age was not a significant factor in prior VR experience, but it did influence the willingness to adopt VR. This finding aligns with the UTAUT2 model, which suggests that older individuals tend to be more hesitant to embrace new technologies [61]. This may necessitate targeted support or training initiatives to encourage adoption. The study also revealed that VR can influence destination perception, particularly among younger respondents. However, VR’s acceptance varies across different regions. Despite these challenges, the study underscores VR’s potential to support tourism promotion and encourage the adaptation of existing promotional practices. While an initial investment in hardware and content development is required, VR raises questions about its long-term economic viability. Therefore, tourism companies and institutions should conduct context-specific cost-benefit analyses, considering both the financial implications and current technological trends. The absence of substantial gender disparities suggests a comparable level of acceptance among male and female respondents [62], potentially reducing the costs associated with personalized campaigns. However, the entry costs may hinder the widespread adoption of VR-based promotional tools, particularly for smaller travel agencies [38, 63].
In conclusion, the study’s objective was successfully achieved by systematically analyzing the relationships between gender, age, continent of origin, prior VR experience, satisfaction with VR tours, and willingness to adopt VR-based promotional tools in the tourism industry. Considering the research conducted and the identified gaps in existing literature, future research should expand the geographical scope of analysis. As Huang et al. [34] suggest, studies conducted in various regions can shed light on how local cultural, economic, and technological conditions influence the adoption of VR in tourism. Additionally, further research should explore different tourism segments, such as luxury, health tourism, ecotourism, and business tourism, and delve deeper into the emotional responses to VR experiences [64]. Longitudinal studies could also provide valuable insights into the long-term effects of VR on customer satisfaction and loyalty.