Title: Virtual tourism through virtual reality

Authors: Filipa Jorge; Manuel Au-Yong-Oliveira; Mário Sérgio Teixeira; Maximino Bessa

Addresses: Research Unit on Governance, Competitiveness and Public Policies (GOVCOPP), DEGEIT, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitario de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal ' Research Unit on Governance, Competitiveness and Public Policies (GOVCOPP), DEGEIT, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitario de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; INESC TEC, Campus da FEUP, Rua Dr Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal ' University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Quinta de Prados - Folhadela, 5000-801, Vila Real, Portugal; Centre for Transdisciplinary Development Studies (CETRAD), UTAD Quinta de Prados – Folhadela, Pole II ECHS, 5000-801, Vila Real, Portugal ' INESC TEC, Campus da FEUP, Rua Dr Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal; University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Quinta de Prados - Folhadela, 5000-801, Vila Real, Portugal

Abstract: Technological evolution has promoted major changes in the business models of the tourism industry. Virtual reality is one of the technologies used to provide virtual tourism experiences. However, it is necessary to systematise the knowledge generated so that future research can generate new knowledge based on more solid theoretical foundations. This study aims to explore and analyse the scientific literature on the use of virtual reality to provide virtual tourism activities. To achieve this research objective, a bibliometric analysis was conducted. The scientific studies used as a sample were collected from the Scopus database and were analysed using co-citation analysis, through the VOSviewer software. The results indicate that the literature on this research topic is based on three clusters: 1) theoretical framework; 2) tourist perspective on the use of virtual reality for tourism purposes; 3) the importance of the concept of (tele)presence in VR experiences for tourism purposes. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed.

Keywords: virtual tourism; virtual reality; bibliometrics.

DOI: 10.1504/PIE.2024.143785

Progress in Industrial Ecology, An International Journal, 2024 Vol.17 No.3, pp.213 - 226

Received: 29 Aug 2023
Accepted: 12 Jan 2024
Published online: 07 Jan 2025 *

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