Traveller Needs and Motivations in Shaping Virtual Reality Experiences in Nature Tourism

Abstract

Immersive technologies like virtual reality (VR) have been predicted to hold great potential for tourism development. However, resource-strained nature tourism companies have been hesitant to adopt these technologies, partially due to knowledge gaps. This study addresses this issue by investigating the travellers’ needs and motivations in relation to VR experiences, to inform a user-centric design process. The findings reveal significant differences in attitudes towards VR tourism experiences between European and Chinese responders. The study contributes to the growing body of literature on VR in tourism by offering practical insights into design strategies that support targeted, culturally nuanced digital service development.