Planners’ Perception of Using Virtual Reality Technology in Tourism Planning

Authors

  • Jun Shao School of Landscape Architecture Beijing Forestry University
  • Heting Bai School of Landscape Architecture Beijing Forestry University
  • Shujin Shu School of Landscape Architecture Beijing Forestry University
  • Marion Joppe School of Hospitality, Food and Tourism Management, University of Guelph

Keywords:

virtual reality, technology acceptance model, tourism planning

Abstract

Virtual reality (VR) technology has provided a new way for tourism planning and design. It not only allows planners to better implement tourism planning, but also enables tourists to experience the charm of tourist destinations or attractions on a deeper level. However, research on planners’ perception of using VR in tourism planning is still in the early stages. Based on the Technology Acceptance Model, this study conducted a depth interview with five senior tourism planners in China to explore factors that influence VR application in tourism planning. The results show that five factors have important influences on VR acceptance, including perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, perceived cost, perceived enjoyment and perceived immersion. Among them, the first three factors can be summarized as a technical support dimension, and the last two as an emotional feedback dimension. The results provide insights for improving tourists’ virtual experience by using VR technology in tourism planning.

Author Biographies

Jun Shao, School of Landscape Architecture Beijing Forestry University

Jun Shao is an associated professor at Beijing Forestry University and a visiting scholar at University of Guelph. Her research focuses on e-tourism, social media marketing and sustainable tourism.

Heting Bai, School of Landscape Architecture Beijing Forestry University

Heting Bai is a postgraduate student in the School of Landscape Architecture at Beijing Forestry University. Her research focuses on tourism planning and landscape architecture design.

Shujin Shu, School of Landscape Architecture Beijing Forestry University

Shujin Shu is a postgraduate student in the School of Landscape Architecture at Beijing Forestry University. Her research interests include heritage tourism, destination planning and data mining in tourism.

Marion Joppe, School of Hospitality, Food and Tourism Management, University of Guelph

Marion Joppe is a Professor in the School of Hospitality, Food and Tourism Management, University of Guelph, Canada. She specializes in destination planning, development and marketing.

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Published

2020-01-01

How to Cite

Shao, J., Bai, H., Shu, S. and Joppe, M. (2020) “Planners’ Perception of Using Virtual Reality Technology in Tourism Planning”, e-Review of Tourism Research, 17(5). Available at: https://ertr-ojs-tamu.tdl.org/ertr/article/view/552 (Accessed: 29 March 2024).

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