Virtual Reality and Tourism: Perceptions of Switzerland

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the impact of virtual reality (VR) on the feeling of Switzerland as a tourist destination within the Metaverse enthusiast community. A mixed-methods approach incorporating both quantitative and qualitative methods was employed, encompassing the analysis of responses from 354 participants from the USA, Japan and Germany. The study centred on perceptual changes, emotional engagement and the potential impact of VR experiences on travel intentions. The results show that VR experiences evoke strong emotional engagement, stimulating curiosity, enjoyment and fascination, and more than 70% of respondents declared a strong desire to visit Switzerland after a VR experience, confirming the technology's potential as an effective marketing tool. However, statistical analyses did not show significant changes in beliefs of the country, suggesting that VR can complement traditional promotional methods, but does not always lead to radical changes in belief. The study is not without its limitations, which include the geographical coverage of the sample and the lack of a long-term analysis of actual travel behaviour. Future research should therefore focus on the long-term impact of VR on actual travel decisions, increasing the diversity of the study groups and analysing the integration of VR tourism with other digital platforms.