Virtual reality and nature based tourism: an opportunity for operators and visitors

Abstract

Nature based tourism is a growing segment of the tourism industry, and tourism operators are facing growing challenges to the quality of their visitor experiences. We explored the application of virtual reality (VR) in this sector, and asked whether it can be successfully used in a natural setting. We found that there is great potential for the use of VR in nature based tourism for the provision of both information and education, with many application opportunities identified.