Author Bios (50 Words for each Author)

Dr. Junyu Lu is an assistant professor in the School of Community Resources and Development at Arizona State University and working for the tourism partnership program between ASU and Hainan University. His research interests are mainly in the area of tourism, new technology, parks and recreation management, climate change and adaptation, and sustainability.

Zixuan Xu is an undergraduate student pursuing dual degrees from the School of Community Resources and Development at Arizona State University and Joint International Tourism College at Hainan University. Her dual majors are Tourism Development & Management and Hospitality Management, respectively. Her research focuses on sustainable tourism, tourism planning, and community engagement.

Abstract (150 Words)

The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed tremendous impacts on the tourism industry worldwide. The tourism sector can take advantage of the new technology (e.g., virtual tourism), to respond to the challenges. This study aims to explore how virtual tourism can aid the recovery of tourism industry. We explore this through a mixed-method approach. Our results show that the use of virtual tourism can be partially explained by the theory of planned behavior. Virtual tourism has a strong influence on people’s onsite destination choices and can be used as an effective marketing tool. Virtual tourism can be an entertainment activity to bring immersed experience without being actually in the destinations, and thus reinforce stay-at-home order. Even after the pandemic is over, people still show willingness to use virtual tourism for diverse purposes. Virtual tourism can also help promote sustainable tourism by reducing unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions and enhance “virtual accessibility” especially for the elderly and disabled with limited mobility.

Download

Share

COinS
 

Can virtual tourism aid in the recovery of tourism industry in the COVID-19 pandemic?

The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed tremendous impacts on the tourism industry worldwide. The tourism sector can take advantage of the new technology (e.g., virtual tourism), to respond to the challenges. This study aims to explore how virtual tourism can aid the recovery of tourism industry. We explore this through a mixed-method approach. Our results show that the use of virtual tourism can be partially explained by the theory of planned behavior. Virtual tourism has a strong influence on people’s onsite destination choices and can be used as an effective marketing tool. Virtual tourism can be an entertainment activity to bring immersed experience without being actually in the destinations, and thus reinforce stay-at-home order. Even after the pandemic is over, people still show willingness to use virtual tourism for diverse purposes. Virtual tourism can also help promote sustainable tourism by reducing unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions and enhance “virtual accessibility” especially for the elderly and disabled with limited mobility.