VR the world: Investigating the effectiveness of virtual reality for destination marketing through presence, emotion, and intention

VR's unprecedented ability to virtually transport the user is purported to be its biggeststrength. Yet, despite early postulations about VR's benefits as a destination marketing; substantial, theory-based VR research in tourism remains in infancy. The objective of this study is to empirically investigate the effectiveness of VR as a destination marketing tool, theoretically underpinned by the concept of presence and its influence on emotions and intentions. A within-subjects experiment is utilized to compare the effectiveness of VR, videos and pictures for cruise ship marketing. The results suggest VR could be more effective as a marketing tool and also provide insights into the impact of key presence determinants. Practical implicationsand avenues for future research are also discussed. © 2019 Texas A and M University.