Virtual reality in tourism: adoption scepticism and resistance

Abstract

Purpose Since its inception, virtual reality (VR) technologies have been widely applied in the tourism industry, given their competitive advantages in offering users a novel experience that makes an artificial environment or scene feel like the real world. As a result, VR has been reported as a highly sought-after technology, as it can offer a new way to engage tourists and enhance their travel experience. However, the adoption of VR by senior tourists (who are one of the potential groups of tourists) is still relatively low in the tourism context. Against this backdrop, this study aims to respond to the deficiency in the literature by examining the impact of barriers that contribute to senior tourists’ resistance and scepticism towards VR in tourism. Design/methodology/approach Using a cross-sectional approach, the data for this study was collected from 600 eligible senior tourists through survey questionnaires. To obtain valid and reliable responses, a purposive sampling technique with screening criteria was undertaken in this study. Upon data cleaning, the data analysis was performed on 546 samples using statistical software packages such as SPSS and the AMOS covariance-based structural equation modelling technique. Findings Grounded on the innovation resistance theory, the outcome of this study put forward the significance of technical and psychological barriers in explaining senior tourists’ resistance and scepticism towards the use of VR in tourism. In particular, perceived risk, perceived incompatibility, technology anxiety, inertia and a lack of human interaction were found to be associated with senior tourists’ scepticism and resistance towards VR usage in tourism. However, perceived complexity was not found to have a significant relationship with resistance. Moreover, both scepticism and resistance were reported to influence non-adoption intentions on VR. Originality/value This study is one of the few studies that examined the less explored territory of the tourism literature concerning the non-adoption of contemporary innovation (i.e. VR technology) for virtual tourism purposes. Moreover, this study also focuses on the perspective of senior tourists, which represents a promising market segment in the tourism sector. This study successfully contributed to the existing literature by offering empirical insights and highlighting the barriers that lead to users’ scepticism and resistance towards using VR for tourism, which could directly influence their non-adoption intention and the success of virtual tourism.