Tourists and augmented and virtual reality experiences

Abstract

Virtual, augmented, and mixed reality are technologies that are slated to significantly transform tourism experiences in the next few years. Although these technologies have been around for quite some time, they have only recently appeared to be ready for mainstream adoption and able to provide a high-quality substitutive experience (in the case of virtual reality) and a good augmentation of the experience (in the case of augmented reality). In this chapter, we first review how these technologies can be used in the different stages of travel, as a complement to and augmentation for a travel process. We then review how they can be used to substitute the tourism experience, allowing tourists to enjoy an experience without travelling. We end with a discussion of the main gaps, their impact on the tourism and travel sector, and expected future developments.