The Influence of Virtual Reality Technology (VRT) on Experience Quality and Behavioral Intentions
Hanyi Wang *
Faculty of Business and Graduate, City University College of Science and Technology, Malaysia and School Accountancy, Luoyang Institute of Science and Technology, 471000, China.
Reynaldo Gacho Segumpan
Faculty of Business and Graduate, City University College of Science and Technology, Malaysia.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
"Around the world, in countries at all stages of development, millions of jobs and enterprises depend on a robust tourism industry. Tourism has also been a propelling force in protecting natural and cultural heritage, preserving them for future generations to appreciate, as stated on the UNWTO (World Tourism Organization a United Nations Specialized Agency) home page by Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili.
Virtual Reality Technology (VRT) is presently receiving a great deal of attention in the tourism industry and is used as a tool for visitor engagement and marketing, but there is little research on the effect of VR technology on intentional behavioural analysis and the quality of the ecotourism visitor experience. Based on an exploratory mixed-methods design of stimulus-organism response (S-O-R) theory and pleasure–arousal–dominance model (PAD) model, this study will investigate the relationship between virtual reality technology (VRT) and the quality of visitor experience and intentional behaviour, as well as identify the factors that influence VRT. In order to construct a framework for hypotheses, this study will conduct both a questionnaire survey and two rounds of interviews.
The majority of research findings indicate that the development of the tourism market is significantly influenced by geographical environment, history and culture, education level, and urban technology level. Yellow River Basin adolescents' destination travel intentions are influenced by the river system and topography of their geographic environment. The Yellow River is one of the two most important rivers in China. The Yellow River travels through nine provinces and thirty-three municipalities, of which thirteen are well-known tourist destinations. Since antiquity, river economies, such as the Silk Road, have been inextricably connected to tourism. Luoyang and Zhengzhou are the most popular tourist destinations in the middle reaches of the Yellow River, a region rich in natural and cultural resources. In recent years, the decline in tourist numbers attributable to COVID-19 and energy shortages has had an effect on the selection of ecotourism destinations, the intention to visit, and the quality of the tourist experience in the region.
This paper selects Luoyang tourism area in the middle reaches of the Yellow River, constructs the evaluation index system based on SOR theory and PAD model, and adopts a mixed research method. The impact of virtual reality technology on the urban ecotourism destination intentions and intention behaviours of Chinese university student tourists in these cities was determined using partial least squares and structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), explanatory mixed mode research and descriptive research qualitative and quantitative methods. The hypotheses will be evaluated empirically through a survey of student in the Yellow River Basin communities of Luoyang. Preliminary results suggest that VRT can significantly enhance students' intention to visit ecotourism destinations in Luoyang by improving their perceived experience quality, contributing to the application of VR technology in promoting sustainable ecotourism development in urban areas. Hypotheses are empirically evaluated via a student survey in Luoyang's Yellow River Basin communities.
Keywords: VRT (Virtual Reality Technology), experience quality, behavior intentional, SOR-PAD, China’s Yellow River Basin