The Rise of Virtual Tour in Tourism: A Bibliometric Review and Future Research Agenda

Nadzirah Rosli; Elaina Rose  Johar; Hafizah Omar Zaki; Dahlia Fernandez  Mohd Farid Fernandez

This study aims to identify the most prominent authors, journals, the most productive and cited countries, the most productive affiliations, and the most commonly used keywords in the field. Second, to identify and present the existing gaps in the literature and sets out the future research trajectory. The present study identified and extracted the bibliographic data from the Scopus database and employs bibliometric analysis by using the Bibliometrix R-package tool. All relevant publications on virtual tours in tourism from 2002 to 2022 are reviewed in this study. A variety of perspectives on virtual tours in tourism were explored and discussed. The findings from the bibliometric analysis provide a holistic understanding of the structure of the field under investigation. The leading trends in terms of authors, journals, countries, affiliations, and keywords were also included. This study draws whole new insights and trends in the integration of virtual tours in tourism as part of an effort for the industry to embrace the perks of technologies, especially post-COVID. By mapping what is known, the study also provides a high potential to help industrial practitioners, especially hoteliers to get a better picture of how technology can empower tourists' desire for the tourism sites. The study will contribute critically to ascertaining relevant research aspects on a virtual tour in tourism. Additionally, the analysis and the graphical visualization are equally crucial, as they will benefit both researchers and practitioner, to better understand the state-of-the-art of virtual tour in tourism, synthesizes existing knowledge, and offers scientific evidence of potential research gaps as well as reveal possibilities, directions, and paths for future study in this growing discipline of tourism studies.

Agapito, D. (2020). The senses in tourism design: A bibliometric review. Annals of Tourism Research, 83, 102934. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ANNALS.2020.102934
Allied Market Research. (2022). Virtual Tour Market: Opportunities and Forecast, 2020 - 2030. Retrieved June 22, 2022, from https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/virtual-tour-market/amp
Baas, J., Schotten, M., Plume, A., Côté, G., & Karimi, R. (2020). Scopus as a curated, high-quality bibliometric data source for academic research in quantitative science studies. Quantitative Science Studies, 1(1), 377–386. https://doi.org/10.1162/qss_a_00019
Barbieri, L., Bruno, F., & Muzzupappa, M. (2017). Virtual museum system evaluation through user studies. Journal of Cultural Heritage, 26, 101–108. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.CULHER.2017.02.005
Bu, L., Chung, V., Leung, N., Wang, K. W., Xia, B., & Xia, C. (2021). The Future of Digital Innovation in China. Retrieved June 22, 2022, from http://www.mckinsey.com
Campos Soto, M. N., Ramos Navas-Parejo, M., & Moreno Guerrero, A. J. (2020). Virtual reality and motivation in the educational context: Bibliometric study of the last twenty years from Scopus. Alteridad-Revista De Educacion, 15(1), 47–60.
Chen, S., Law, R., Xu, S., & Zhang, M. (2020). Bibliometric and visualized analysis of mobile technology in tourism. Sustainability (Switzerland), 12(19), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12197975
Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Mukherjee, D., Pandey, N., & Lim, W. M. (2021). How to conduct a bibliometric analysis: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 133(5), 285–296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.04.070
Dorcic, J., Komsic, J., & Markovic, S. (2018). Mobile technologies and applications towards smart tourism – state of the art. Tourism Review, 74(1), 82–103. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-07-2017-0121
El-Said, O., & Aziz, H. (2022). Virtual Tours a Means to an End: An Analysis of Virtual Tours’ Role in Tourism Recovery Post COVID-19. Journal of Travel Research, 61(3), 528–548. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287521997567
Flavian, C., Ibanez-Sanchez, S., & Orus, C. (2020). Impacts of technological embodiment through virtual reality on potential guests’ emotions and engagement. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 30(1), 1–20.
https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2020.1770146
Garfield, E. (2006). The history and meaning of the journal impact factor. JAMA, 295(1), 90–93. https://doi.org/10.1001/JAMA.295.1.90
Gkeredakis, M., Lifshitz-Assaf, H., & Barrett, M. (2021). Crisis as opportunity, disruption and exposure: Exploring emergent responses to crisis through digital technology. Information and Organization, 31(1), 100344.
https://doi.org/10.1016/J.INFOANDORG.2021.100344
Godovykh, M., Baker, C., & Fyall, A. (2022). VR in Tourism: A New Call for Virtual Tourism Experience amid and after the COVID-19 Pandemic. Tourism and Hospitality, 3(1), 265–275. https://doi.org/10.3390/tourhosp3010018
Goh, M. L. (2020). Go on virtual tours of Malaysia from your own home. The Star Online. https://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/travel/2020/12/07/go-on-virtual-tours-of-malaysia-from-your-own-home
Hirsch, J. E., & Buela-Casal, G. (2014). The meaning of the h-index. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 14(2), 161–164. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1697-2600(14)70050-X
Ioannides, D., & Gyimothy, S. (2020). The COVID-19 crisis as an opportunity for escaping the unsustainable global tourism path. Tourism Geopraphies, 22(3), 624–632. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616688.2020.1763445
Israel, K., Tscheulin, D. K., & Zerres, C. (2019). Virtual reality in the hotel industry: Assessing the acceptance of immersive hotel presentation. European Journal of Tourism Research, 21, 5–22.
Itani, O. S., & Hollebeek, L. D. (2021). Light at the end of the tunnel: Visitors’ virtual reality (versus in-person) attraction site tour-related behavioral intentions during and post-COVID-19. Tourism Management, 84(6).
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2021.104290
Kim, D., & Ko, Y. J. (2019). The impact of virtual reality (VR) technology on sport spectators’ flow experience and satisfaction. Computers in Human Behavior, 93, 346–356. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.CHB.2018.12.040
Kim, M. J., & Hall, C. M. (2019). A hedonic motivation model in virtual reality tourism: Comparing visitors and non-visitors. International Journal of Information Management, 46, 236–249. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.IJINFOMGT.2018.11.016
Klonfoot.com. (2020). Kuala Lumpur on Foot. Retrieved February 17, 2022, from https://klonfoot.com/virtual_experience/
Lourve. (2019). The Musée du Louvre Partners with HTC Vive Arts for its First Virtual Reality Experience - Espace presse du musée du Louvre. Retrieved June, 22, 2022, from https://presse.louvre.fr/strongle-musee-du-louvre-lance-sa-premiere-experience-de-realite-virtuelle-en-partenariat-avec-htc-vive-artsnbsp-strong_1063000191514/
Merkx, C., & Nawijn, J. (2021). Virtual reality tourism experiences: Addiction and isolation. Tourism Management, 87, 104394. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.TOURMAN.2021.104394
Osman, A., Wahab, N., & Ismail, M. (2009). Development and Evaluation of an Interactive 360 Virtual Tour for Tourist Destinations. Journal of Information Technology Impact, 9(3), 173–182.
Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hrobjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., … Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372(n71). https://doi.org/10.1136/BMJ.N71
Rahim, N. Z. A., Nasaruddin, N. I. S., Shah, N. B. A., Halim, F. H., Samah, K. A. F. A., Saman, F. I., & Rum, S. F. M. (2021). Aftermath of pandemic Covid-19 on tourism industry: A review on virtual tourism platform. AIP Conference Proceedings, 2347(1), 020173. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0052855
Rodriguez-Lopez, M. E., Alcantara-Pilar, J. M., Del Barrio-Garcia, S., & Munoz-Leiva, F. (2020). A review of restaurant research in the last two decades: A bibliometric analysis. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 87, 102387.
https://doi.org/10.1016/J.IJHM.2019.102387
Schiopu, A. F., Hornoiu, R. I., Padurean, M. A., & Nica, A. M. (2021). Virus tinged? Exploring the facets of virtual reality use in tourism as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Telematics and Informatics, 60, 101575. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.TELE.2021.101575
Sharma, A., & Nicolau, J. L. (2020). An open market valuation of the effects of COVID-19 on the travel and tourism industry. Annals of Tourism Research, 83, 102990. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ANNALS.2020.102990
Sharma, R., Kumar, A., & Chuah, C. (2021). Turning the blackbox into a glassbox: An explainable machine learning approach for understanding hospitality customer. International Journal of Information Management Data Insights, 1(2), 100050.
https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JJIMEI.2021.100050
Shen, S., Xu, K., Sotiriadis, M., & Wang, Y. (2022). Exploring the factors influencing the adoption and usage of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality applications in tourism education within the context of COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism Education, 30, 100373. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhlste.2022.100373
Sigala, M. (2020). Tourism and COVID-19: Impacts and implications for advancing and resetting industry and research. Journal of Business Research, 117, 312–321.
https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JBUSRES.2020.06.015
Singh, S., & Bashar, A. (2021). A bibliometric review on the development in e-tourism research. International Hospitality Review. https://doi.org/10.1108/ihr-03-2021-0015
Spielmann, N., & Mantonakis, A. (2018). In virtuo: How user-driven interactivity in virtual tours leads to attitude change. Journal of Business Research, 88, 255–264. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JBUSRES.2018.03.037
Su, D. N., Nguyen, N. A. N., Nguyen, Q. N. T., & Tran, T. P. (2020). The link between travel motivation and satisfaction towards a heritage destination: The role of visitor engagement, visitor experience and heritage destination image. Tourism Management Perspectives, 34, 100634. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.TMP.2020.100634
Tavakoli, R., & Mura, P. (2015). “Journeys in Second Life”?: Iranian Muslim women’s behaviour in virtual tourist destinations. Tourism Management, 46, 398–407.
UNWTO. (2020). UNWTO World Tourism Barometer May 2020. Special Focus on the Impact of COVID-19. Retrieved June, 21, 2022, from https://www.e-unwto.org/doi/pdf/10.18111/9789284421817
Utkarsh, & Sigala, M. (2021). A bibliometric review of research on COVID-19 and tourism: Reflections for moving forward. Tourism Management Perspectives, 40.
Virsabi. (2022). Why China leads the world in virtual reality adoption. Retrieved June 22, 2022, from https://virsabi.com/why-china-leads-virtual-reality-adoption/
Wu, X., & Lai, I. K. W. (2022). The use of 360-degree virtual tours to promote mountain walking tourism: stimulus–organism–response model. Information Technology and Tourism, 24(1), 85–107. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40558-021-00218-1
Yadav, H., Kar, A. K., & Kashiramka, S. (2021). How does entrepreneurial orientation and SDG orientation of CEOs evolve before and during a pandemic. Journal of Enterprise Information Management, 35(1), 160–178. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEIM-03-2021-0149/FULL/PDF
Ye, B. H., Ye, H., & Law, R. (2020). Systematic review of smart tourism research. Sustainability (Switzerland), 12(8). https://doi.org/10.3390/SU12083401
Ying, T., Tang, J., Ye, S., Tan, X., & Wei, W. (2021). Virtual Reality in Destination Marketing: Telepresence, Social Presence, and Tourists’ Visit Intentions. Journal of Travel Research, 9. https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875211047273
Yung, R., & Khoo-Lattimore, C. (2017). New realities: a systematic literature review on virtual reality and augmented reality in tourism research. Current Issues in Tourism, 22(17), 2056–2081. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2017.1417359
Zenker, S., & Kock, F. (2020). The coronavirus pandemic – A critical discussion of a tourism research agenda. Tourism Management, 81(2020), 1–4.

In-Text Citation: (Rosli et al., 2023)
To Cite this Article: Rosli, N., Johar, E. R., Zaki, H. O., & Fernandez, D. F. M. F. (2023). The Rise of Virtual Tour in Tourism: A Bibliometric Review and Future Research Agenda. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 13(2), 781 – 799.

Copyright: © 2023 The Author(s)
Published by Human Resource Management Academic Research Society (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non0-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode

International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences

Open Access Journal

The Rise of Virtual Tour in Tourism: A Bibliometric Review and Future Research Agenda

Nadzirah Rosli, Elaina Rose Johar, Hafizah Omar Zaki, Dahlia Fernandez Mohd Farid Fernandez

Further Information

Our Journals

Get intouch with us