Dawn or Dusk? Will Virtual Tourism Begin to Boom? An Integrated Model of AIDA, TAM, and UTAUT

Abstract

Although virtual tourism has recently been introduced in numerous areas, it is still regarded as a gimmick because whether this currently rising demand will last longer than a year remains unknown. Regarding virtual tourism’s main pillar—technology—and potential weakness—difficulty developing an intimate experience—the current study incorporates key elements of the technology acceptance model (TAM), the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology model (UTAUT) and the attention, interest, desire, and action model (AIDA), to create a novel model focused on the need for intimacy. In addition to offering a theoretical foundation for future academics addressing a similar situation, the findings in this research have managerial implications, as the study recommends measures for reviving the tourism industry’s boom. These findings can therefore foster both the tourist industry and local governments; they highlight the necessity for local governments to use modern technologies to dispense tourism resources rationally.