Travel Agencies Using Virtual Reality for Non-Travelers: A Research Note

Year 2025, Volume: 13 Issue: 3, 357 - 368, 15.09.2025

Ana Cecilia Reyes Uribe , Simón Carlos González Flores

https://doi.org/10.30519/ahtr.1621126

Abstract

This research note aims to highlight the use of virtual reality by travel agencies offering tours for non-travelers. This work examines virtual reality's characteristics and applications in the tourism industry and reviews open-access online information sources to assess the current offerings of travel agencies for non-travelers. Findings suggest that the travel agencies in this study are still in their early stages of offering a low-immersion travel experience without yet providing full-immersion services using VR. However, travel agencies seek to enthuse potential travelers to a specific destination and guarantee the best travel experience, without leaving home. This work argues that virtual travel holds significant potential for growth within travel agencies as an innovative means of supporting individuals who face barriers to physical travel, including, but not limited to, those with disabilities. Additionally, it highlights opportunities for future studies to explore this phenomenon through theoretical frameworks such as Service-Dominant Logic (SDL). However, this research note is just a first step, and further empirical research is needed.

Keywords

Travel agencies , Virtual travelers , Virtual reality , Non-travelers , Service-dominant logic

Ethical Statement

No funding was received. The authors declare that no conflict of interest exists.

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