Virtual Tourism

Introduction

In the last decade, “(…) the relationship between technology and the tourism industry has been evolving rapidly” (Williams & Hobson, 1995, p.242). Nowadays it is nearly impossible to travel without technology involved. Starting with information collection in the internet up to the review of the hotel facilities in the end, nearly every part of the experience has technology involved. But even if booking systems or information websites have become irreplaceable in the tourism industry it is still necessary to physically move to a destination. The concept of being able to travel without physical movement and experience reality in a virtual world occupies the computer industry since the beginning. The possibilities given through this concept seam nearly uncountable and could lead to a complete shift of behaviour especially in the tourism industry.

In this essay virtual tourism and its possible threat to the travel and tourism industry will be analysed and discussed. Based on two examples will be shown what advantages and disadvantages Virtual Tourism could have on the travel and tourism industry and in what extend it already had affects.

Virtual Tourism

Definition and Overview

Virtual tourism is a frequently used term which entirely lacks a detailed definition. To clarify the concept of virtual tourism it might be useful to define virtual and tourism separately and combine both in the end. According to the Oxford Dictionary (2013) the term ‘virtual’ in context with computing describes a state which is not physically existent but appears, done by software, to be. In a general view “tourism is a social, cultural and economic phenomenon which entails the movement of people to countries or places outside their usual environment for personal or business/professional purposes.” (UNWTO, n.a.). Combined