The linkage between virtual reality experience, visiting experience, and destination loyalty: Perspective of Muslim tourists from the West

Abstract

This study examines the loyalty of Muslim tourists based in Western countries by incorporating their experiences visiting the destination in person and via virtual reality (VR). Data was gathered using an online survey from 330 Muslim tourists who have experience of actually visiting tourism destinations and via VR. This study employed partial least square (PLS) to examine the proposed destination loyalty model. Data analysis reveals that Muslim tourists’ loyalty toward a tourism destination is driven mainly by perceived experience quality from visiting the destination and experience with VR content with halal experiences demonstrating an insignificant effect on their loyalty.