In light of fierce competition and fast changing markets, travel firms have to make reasonable use of new technologies in order to succeed. Virtual Reality (VR) enables travellers to experience a destination in advance and entertains hopes to positively influence the booking behaviour of travellers.
The author of this publication examines the effect of VR exposure on the booking decision process, specifically on the purchasing probability, the speed of decision-making and turnover. Different to other research, the book at hand analyses actual purchasing decisions from the perspective of travel sales agents instead of consumers expressing purchasing intentions in artificial laboratory situations.
The current technological development considerably affects the way how tourism destinations and touristic products are perceived and how booking decisions take place. In that context, it is crucial to understand consumer decision processes, especially in the travel and hospitality sector. “Virtual Reality Tools in the Tourism Industry and their Influence on Booking Behaviour” investigates consumer behaviour based on a structural model. Carola Epple offers handy guidelines for travel marketers how to best use VR for their purposes and supports managerial practice by indicating how the relevant constructs can be stimulated.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
1.1. VR as a trend in travel marketing
1.2. Objective and approach of this study
2. Theoretical background and current state of VR in travel marketing practice
2.1. Booking behaviour in tourism: research overview and benefits of VR
2.2. VR influencing travellers’ purchasing behaviour: Relevant theories, models and research
2.2.1. An extended S-O-R model as a basic framework
2.2.2. The concept of presence in the research of virtual experiences
2.2.3. Research overview: How does Virtual Reality influence buying decision processes of travellers?
2.2.4. The role of technology acceptance in VR-related consumer behaviour
2.3. Practical use of Virtual Reality in tourism
2.4. Conclusion for the study and research model development
3. Research method
4. Data analysis and results
5. Summary and discussion
5.1. Hypothesis review
5.2. Theoretical contribution
5.3. Managerial implications
5.4. Limitations and further research
6. Conclusion and Outlook
7. References
8. Appendix
Objective and Research Focus
This thesis examines the impact of Virtual Reality (VR) tools on the travel booking process, focusing on how such technology influences purchasing probability, speed of decision-making, and overall turnover from the perspective of travel sales agents. By integrating concepts of presence and technology acceptance into a neobehavioristic stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) model, the research seeks to uncover the underlying psychological mechanisms—specifically activating and cognitive processes—that drive travel booking decisions in a real-world agency setting.
- Analysis of VR's role as a persuasive marketing tool in the tourism industry.
- Evaluation of "presence" and "technology acceptance" as predictors of consumer activation.
- Investigation of actual sales interactions rather than hypothetical consumer purchase intentions.
- Development and empirical validation of a structural research model using PLS-SEM.
- Provision of actionable insights for the design of VR content to enhance travel marketing effectiveness.
Excerpt from the Book
2.2.1. An extended S-O-R model as a basic framework
Consumer behaviour generally is understood as the observable behaviour in the context of buying and consuming goods as well as the not observable “inner” behaviour linked to preferences, emotions and involvement (Kroeber-Riel & Gröppel-Klein, 2013). Traditionally, research on purchasing decisions builds upon psychological and social variables described in the neobehavioristic stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) model as a framework to analyse purchasing decisions. This approach analyses directly observable variables, which means stimuli directly influencing a consumer (such as sales promotions, a marketing message, a price change or VR exposure) and respective reactions (e.g. demanding information or actually booking a trip). The neobehavioristic paradigm explicitly takes into account the inner, not observable variables that lead to observable behaviour: it assumes that a certain stimulus is evaluated by an organism (e.g. evoking a learning process or changing an attitude) and causes a reaction. This approach leads to an empirical focus of research on purchasing decisions, as stimuli and reactions usually can be analysed as variables in empirical studies (Foscht & Swoboda, 2011; Kroeber-Riel & Gröppel-Klein, 2013; Kuß & Tomczak, 2007).
Mollen and Wilson consider the neobehavioristic S-O-R model as an appropriate theoretical framework for synthesizing existing research on website experience (Mollen & Wilson, 2010). For the study at hand, their approach will be broadened to VR experiences, as it allows integrating specific characteristics and concepts of VR stimuli, especially the concepts of presence and technology acceptance. Hereby, the website or VR experience is considered as the stimulus. The consumer’s internal state including activating and cognitive processes is the response to the stimulus. Mollen and Wilson characterize the consumer’s experiential response “as a dynamic, tiered perceptual spectrum” that ranges from perceived interactivity to telepresence (…) to engagement” as a cognitive and affective commitment to the respective product or brand (Mollen & Wilson, 2010).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the rise of VR in the tourism sector and defines the research scope and primary objectives regarding travel booking decisions.
2. Theoretical background and current state of VR in travel marketing practice: Reviews established consumer behavior models, the role of VR, and existing research on presence and technology acceptance within the travel industry.
3. Research method: Describes the methodology, including qualitative expert interviews and an online survey of travel sales agents to validate the structural research model.
4. Data analysis and results: Presents the univariate and multivariate statistical analysis, specifically using PLS-SEM to evaluate the hypotheses regarding the impact of VR on booking outcomes.
5. Summary and discussion: Synthesizes the empirical findings, reviews the status of the formulated hypotheses, and discusses theoretical and managerial contributions.
6. Conclusion and Outlook: Addresses key industry challenges and offers recommendations for the future conceptualization of VR content in travel marketing.
Keywords
Virtual Reality, Travel Marketing, Booking Behaviour, Activation, Presence, Technology Acceptance, Stimulus-Organism-Response Model, Purchasing Probability, Decision-Making, Turnover, Cognitive Imagination, Tourism, Sales Support, Immersive Media, Consumer Behavior
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The work investigates how the use of Virtual Reality (VR) tools in travel bureaus influences the booking behavior of tourists, specifically regarding purchase probability, speed of decision-making, and generated turnover.
What are the primary themes covered?
The study centers on the intersection of travel marketing, consumer psychology, and new media technology, specifically focusing on how immersive experiences affect the underlying activation and cognitive processes of travelers.
What is the primary goal of the study?
The goal is to determine whether VR exposure leads to measurable differences in actual booking outcomes and to identify which specific constructs, like presence or technology acceptance, drive these changes.
Which scientific method was employed?
The study uses a neobehavioristic stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) framework and validates this model empirically using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) based on survey data from 91 travel sales agents.
What is the focus of the main section?
The main part of the thesis builds a theoretical research model by reviewing literature on tourism behavior and VR, followed by an empirical testing phase that analyzes survey data gathered from travel agency partners.
Which keywords characterize this work?
The research is best described by terms such as Virtual Reality, Booking Behaviour, Presence, Technology Acceptance, Activation, and Tourism Marketing.
How does the perspective of travel agents differ from consumer-focused studies?
By using travel agents as informants, the study focuses on actual real-world purchasing decisions instead of hypothetical consumer purchase intentions, providing a more reliable view of the sales impact of VR tools.
What role does "activation" play according to the results?
Activation is identified as a vital mediator; it is significantly influenced by presence and technology acceptance and directly drives the analyzed booking outcomes, suggesting that an emotional approach to VR content is essential for success.
How does cognitive imagination affect booking outcomes?
Interestingly, the study found that while cognitive imagination is a benefit of VR, it does not have a significant empirical effect on the specific booking outcomes analyzed, contrasting with initial hypotheses.
What recommendation is provided for travel marketers?
Marketers should prioritize creating emotionally engaging and high-quality VR content that stimulates "presence" and "activation" rather than focusing solely on rational, informational features, as these emotional factors are the true drivers of conversion.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Carola Epple (Autor:in), 2018, From hype to value. Virtual Reality Tools in the Tourism Industry and their Influence on Booking Behaviour, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/450058
