Virtual reality tourism : the new frontier or the end of the journey?

Abstract

Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, the tourism industry was a mega-industry. Although virtual reality (VR) is a relatively new development in tourism, due to COVID-19 it has literally transformed and improved the industry, particularly in the fields of marketing, sustainability and virtual worlds. VR is held to provide tourists with the “ultimate” tourist experience. The reason is that tourists no longer have to experience any of the negative aspects associated with conventional tourism. Despite the benefits and popularity of VR, a key question arises: will VR be the end of conventional tourism or can it be considered as a new tourism frontier? Therefore, the main purpose of the study is to address this question by focusing on the role of VR in tourism, especially in the context of South Africa. In addition, the study provides a detailed background of VR in general and in terms of tourism; types of VR tourism; the benefits and drawbacks of VR in tourism; and finally, the study compares conventional tourism models with VR in order to highlight the similarities. It concludes that VR does not in essence substitute conventional tourism, but rather it can be considered as a tourism niche in its own right, even if only as a futuristic prospect. For this to actualise, there are three major concerns that need to be addressed in the future; physical interaction; a full sensorial experience and the question of revenue.