Virtual Immersive Platforms as a Strategic Innovative Destination Marketing Tool in the COVID-19 Era

Abstract

The aim of this research was to address the issues in virtual-reality technologies and gamification within the context of immersive technologies. The author drew together, in a hybrid methodology, the principles of virtual touring and online training, as these need to be understood by destination and tourism professionals. The emphasis was on the utility of innovative multimedia and multimodal technological tools for modern content creation, which led to an online training process for travel agents, the role of gamification and how a virtual platform could be developed to promote a tourism destination during the COVID-19 pandemic. The author based the research on a case study of an immersive platform of a Greek destination and on the degree of the user response to the virtual technology and content. The study also included a comparison between two platforms: one using conventional content and one using multimedia content. The author methodologically used VAR models to describe the cogeneration process of multiple variables over time to investigate the relationships between these variables. The results led to a preference for immersive platforms, which can be a guide for corresponding platforms that are concerned with the promotion of destinations.