Agritourism Experience via Virtual Reality: A Theoretical Framework
摘要
Nowadays, given the current environmental challenges, it’s no longer surprising that global issues related to the environment and climate change are playing a more prominent role in international reflection. In the tourism industry, this reflection is translated in the conciliation between economic growth and preservation of natural resources. Even if the relation between tourism and natural resources seems often to be conflictual, reconciling responsible consumption with continued growth is essential for sustainable development. Among sustainable forms of tourism, agritourism has the potential to promote socio-economic development in rural areas and reduce harmful environmental impacts at the same time. Moreover, due to urbanization and technological advances, the evolution of lifestyles and consumption habits are placing a considerable strain on sustainable development. In recent years, immersive technologies, such as virtual reality (VR), have expanded rapidly due to their benefits in enhancing user experience during the purchase process. In tourism, VR can provide customers with a realistic overview of their chosen destination or activity in advance, thereby facilitating decision-making and reducing perceived risk. However, few studies have yet explored how agritourism can be enhanced through VR. Following research studies on agritourism, online purchases and on the integration of immersive technologies into the tourism experience, this research is an attempt and a modest contribution to the development of agritourism by proposing a theoretical framework based on customer perceived value (CPV) as well as consumer innovativeness and environmental attitude to implement the adoption of VR in agritourism.