Virtual reality presence as a preamble of tourism experience: The role of mental imagery

While the dominant research stream on tourism technologies has investigated the adoption of self-service, mobile, and web-based technologies, the potential of destination marketing through virtual technologies is yet to be fully investigated. Because of limited empirical knowledge about the application of virtual reality (VR) in tourism, this research investigates how VR can be used to deliver integrated tourist experiences prior to their stay at the hotel. Through a lab-coordinated experiment, the current study contrasts three hotel previews that differ in their level of interactivity (images vs. 360° tour vs. VR). The findings demonstrate that a VR preview induces higher elaboration of mental imagery about the experience and a stronger sense of presence compared to both the 360° preview and images preview, thereby translating into enhanced brand experience. Such findings suggest that VR is substantial in prompting tourists to “daydream” about lodging offers prior to experiencing them at the destination's premises.