University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing
Abstract
OVERVIEW
In the information explosion era, consumers are now better informed about different products and services than ever. It becomes increasingly challenging for every marketer to cater to the needs of these sophisticated consumers, which is their top priority amid the fierce competition. Capitalizing on its novelty and experiential nature, virtual reality (VR) is one of the latest technologies shown to have been effective in attracting and engaging consumers, particularly in the tourism industry. A complete understanding of VR technology and its strengths and weaknesses is conducive to a better assessment of the technological tool for marketers to determine the worthiness of an investment in VR marketing. In this book chapter, an introduction of the technical requirements for VR marketing is given in the first section. The 5As customer journey framework and the marketing funnel framework are then illustrated to give the marketers in the hospitality and tourism industry an understanding of how VR can help achieve marketing objectives. A conceptual framework linking VR Marketing Stimuli with VR Experience Dimensions and VR Marketing Outcomes is also introduced, followed by a discussion on the theoretical and practical considerations for VR marketing. Three successful cases are especially included to demonstrate its relevance and growing popularity in the hospitality and tourism industry. Based on the latest VR development, the prospect of applying VR in the industry is reviewed at last.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After completing this chapter, the student will be able to:
- Introduce the technical requirements for VR marketing.
- Explain how VR helps achieve marketing objectives.
- Discuss the pros and cons of VR marketing.
- Identify the challenges in deploying VR marketing.
- Share some successful cases of VR marketing.
DOI
https://www.doi.org/10.5038/9781732127586
Recommended Citation
Wong, K. Y. (2021). Virtual reality marketing in hospitality and tourism. In C. Cobanoglu, S. Dogan, K. Berezina, & G. Collins (Eds.), Advances in hospitality and tourism information technology (pp. 1–24). USF M3 Publishing. https://www.doi.org/10.5038/9781732127586
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
