Cognizing tourist loyalty during covid-19 pandemic through virtual reality lens

Abstract

This study examines tourist loyalty toward tourism destinations during the COVID-19 pandemic, involving experience and satisfaction with virtual reality (VR) as determinants. The data, collected using an online survey, are from 300 tourists who have experience visiting a tourism destination via VR. Exploratory factor analysis on the dimensionality of experience with VR tourism attraction identifies three dimensions: enjoyment, learning, and immersion-social interaction. Among the identified dimensions, enjoyment has the biggest impact on experience with the VR tourism attraction. Next, the partial least square analysis reveals that experience with the VR tourism attraction determines tourists’ VR satisfaction, intention to re-visit, and intention to endorse, while their experience with the VR system only drives their intention to revisit. Finally, tourists’ past visiting experience to the destination does not moderate the association between VR experience, VR satisfaction, and loyalty.