This is an independent project which investigatesthe environmental impacts of virtual tourism and tourism overall, and what virtual tours can do for tourism as a whole. Through this project, I made a video which discusses the benefits and drawbacks of virtual tourism in relation to a place like Norway, a rich country witha popular iconic bird known as the puffin. In my video, I present the research that I gathered and through the help of my collaborators, showcase the alternative andvirtual way we can experience countries.

When the whole world was in lockdown and tourism was at a standstill due to the COVID19-pandemic, the Faroe Islands found an alternative way to let people experience their destination. They started the “Remote tourism” campaign which offered live virtual tours where users from all over the world could navigate the locals who were equipped with GoPro cameras on their helmets. But how satisfying can such an experience be? How do users experience virtual tours? And how do such virtual tours promote the willingness to visit a destination? This study aimed at answering those questions by conducting semi-structured interviews with members of Generation Y. The participants of the interview watched the recorded versions of the virtual tours offered by Visit Faroe Islands and were asked about their experience. There are different factors for a satisfying tourism experience, namely presence/telepresence, enjoyment, involvement, and flow. The results showed that these factors were also relevant to the virtual tourism experience. However, the virtual tours were experienced differently by different participants and the results cannot be generalized. Yet, this will likely be the case for the traditional tourism experience as well. The same tourism experience will be perceived differently by every individual. The results also showed that the virtual tours did promote the willingness to visit the Faroe Islands for the majority of participants – or it did not change to the worse at least.

Maps are essential tools for providing tourism information. Hence, it is imperative for tourism marketers to understand how tourists perceive spatial information and sense physical places virtually presented in digital maps. Based on sense of place, spatial cognition, and virtual reality literature, this study constructed a conceptual framework to measure how different interactivity levels of a digital map interface affect potential tourists' experience when exploring maps. In addition, the study explored how individual characteristics such as place attachment and spatial ability affect virtual-spatial experiences. An experiment was conducted to test the developed Virtual Spatial Experience model. Google Earth maps were manipulated using two experimental conditions: low level (satellite view map only) vs. high level (three dimensional (3D) dynamic objects). The questionnaire included self-report items regarding perceived map interactivity, spatial ability, affective place attachment, spatial orientation, spatial imagery, and spatial presence. Responses from 211 students were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The study results showed that map interfaces influence human perceptions of map interactivity. Perceived map interactivity positively affected virtual spatial experiences: spatial orientation, spatial imagery and spatial presence. Spatial ability positively influenced spatial orientation which in turn led to greater spatial imagery and ultimately greater spatial presence. The results further demonstrated that affective place attachment positively influenced spatial presence. The findings provided evidence that sense of place in the real world, such as affective place attachment to the experimental setting (Walt Disney World, Florida), influences spatial experiences of an environment virtually presented in the map. Therefore, by applying place attachment to virtual environment studies, this study expanded the scope of theories used in exploring human spatial experience. Moreover, evaluating the influence of map interactivity, this study provided practical implications for designing destination maps. By applying 3D dynamic objects as a design feature in an interactive map, tourism marketers can produce enhanced virtual spatial experiences. As this study used Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom Park presented on Google Earth as the experimental setting, the collected data also informs the understanding of virtual experiences and perceptions of the park.

Vivimos en una realidad en la que para hacer turismo debemos movernos a algún lugar. Algunas personas dejan de hacer turismo por temor a equivocarse en el destino elegido, por salud o por limitaciones físicas. Así también, ahora que atravesamos por una pandemia que ha obligado a los gobiernos a cerrar fronteras, vuelos y destinos turísticos, entonces, ¿Cómo podemos hacer turismo frente a todas estas limitaciones? Debido a esta problemática, presentamos una plataforma que utiliza tecnología de realidad virtual para conectar guías de turismo profesional con personas que deseen disfrutar la experiencia de hacer un tipo de turismo diferente, el virtual. Nuestra propuesta de negocio ofrece acceso a un guía de turismo profesional quien transmitirá el recorrido turístico hacia una plataforma a la que personas podrán conectarse mediante lentes de realidad virtual que atraparán sus sentidos de audición y visión logrando la sensación de estar presencialmente en el destino turístico. Este tipo de turismo no existe como modelo de negocio en el mercado local siendo una idea totalmente innovadora. Centramos nuestra propuesta de valor en un modelo de tipo Peer-To-Peer entre guías profesionales y turistas alcanzando una experiencia muy cercana a la realidad gracias al uso de tecnología. Gracias a un sondeo realizado en las principales calles de Lima hemos encontrado que un 84% de los encuestados estarían dispuestos a consumir un servicio de turismo virtual. Este modelo de negocio resulta rentable gracias a los márgenes de ganancias obtenidos del volumen de turistas virtuales que se podrán conectar a una sesión atendida por un único guía profesional. Financieramente, se alcanza un VAN de S/ 770.568,37 y un TIR de 40.46%, con recuperación al segundo año de operación, evidenciando un alto potencial en su implementación. / We live in a reality in which to do tourism we must move somewhere. However, some people stop touring for fear of making a mistake in their chosen destination, due to health or physical limitations. Furthermore, now that we are going through a pandemic that has forced governments to close borders, flights and tourist destinations, then how can we do tourism and cope with all these limitations? Due to this problem, we present a platform that uses virtual reality technology in order to connect professional tourist guides with people who want to enjoy the experience of doing a different type of tourism, the virtual. Our business proposal offers access to a professional tour guide who will transmit the tourist route to a platform in order to people can connect through virtual reality glasses. This will engage their senses of hearing and vision, achieving the feeling of being in person at the tourist destination. This type of tourism does not exist as a business model in the local market, being a completely innovative idea. We focus our value proposition on a Peer-To-Peer type model between professional guides and tourists, achieving an experience very close to reality thanks to the use of technology. Thanks to a survey carried out in the main streets of Lima, we have found that 84% of those surveyed would be willing to consume a virtual tourism service. This business model is economical thanks to the profit margins obtained from the volume of virtual tourists who will be able to connect to a session attended by a single professional guide. Financially, a VAN of S / 770,568.37 and TIR of 40.46% are reached, with recovery in the second operation year. This evidence of high potential in its implementation. / Trabajo de investigación

Technology is dominant and intensively evolved in our lives today, as technology is being used on several aspects of our daily lives like smart phones, tv and several other technological gadgets which are very important tools in marketing. New technological innovations are being invented which help to open up and create new opportunities to people. Virtual reality technology (VR) is one of the new and unique electronic technologies that has emerged in recent years. VR has been helping to transfer some aspects from our real life (RL) to virtual reality (VR), in other word virtual world. This research presents a qualitative study of the role of VR technology in the marketing of tourist destinations. The research has examined the conditions for Swedish destinations to use VR technology for marketing purposes, and how VR technology could in that case be used in municipal destination companies in Sweden. Also, it explores some of the pros and cons of using VR technology in advertising marketing within tourist destinations. This research’s results demonstrated positive feelings among the majority of the participants regarding the use of VR technology as future marketing tool. However, the participants expressed that is challenging to use VR at the present time due to financial factors and lack of knowledge around the VR field. Furthermore, most respondents highlighted the great potential opportunities that could be accessed through the application of VR technology. They pointed out that VR technology could attract more visitors to the destinations by the virtual experience which could lead to arousing interest in the tourist destination. / Tekniken är dominerande och intensivt utvecklad i våra liv idag, eftersom tekniken används i flera aspekter av vårt dagliga liv som smarta telefoner, tv och flera andra tekniska prylar som är mycket viktiga verktyg i marknadsföring. Nya tekniska innovationer uppfinns som bidrar till att öppna upp och skapa nya möjligheter för människor. Virtual reality-teknik (VR) är en av de nya och unika elektroniska teknologier som har dykt upp de senaste åren. VR har hjälpt till att överföra vissa aspekter från vårt verkliga liv (RL) till virtuell verklighet (VR), med andra ord virtuell värld. Denna forskning presenterar en kvalitativ studie om VR-teknikens roll i turistdestinations marknadsföring. Forskningen har undersökt förutsättningarna för svenska destinationer att använda VR-teknik i marknadsföringssyfte, och hur VR-teknik i så fall skulle kunna användas i kommunala destinationsföretag i Sverige. Dessutom utforskar den några av fördelarna och nackdelarna med att använda VR-teknik i reklammarknadsföring inom turistdestinationer. Resultaten av denna forskning visade på positiva känslor hos majoriteten av respondenterna angående användningen av VR-teknik som framtida marknadsföringsverktyg. respondenterna uttryckte dock att det är utmanande att använda VR-tekniker för närvarande på grund av ekonomiska faktorer och bristande kunskap kring VR-tekniker. Dessutom lyfte respondenterna flesta svarande fram de stora potentiella möjligheter som kan nås genom tillämpning av VR-teknik. Respondenterna påpekade att VR-teknik skulle kunna locka fler besökare till destinationerna genom den virtuella upplevelsen som kunde leda till att väcka intresse för turistdestinationer.

<p>Savezna Republika Nemačka predstavlja optimalan primer za proučavanje turističke rekreacije u kojima se sve razvojne faze mogu posmatrati sa aspekta pozitivnih i negativnih faktora koji to uslovljavaju. Visoko razvijena država, visok životni standard i izgrađena svest o značaju rekreacije uz maksimalnu za&scaron;titu prirodne sredine su i glavni motiv za izradu ove doktorske teze. Nemačka predstavlja i zemlju emitivnog i imitivnih turističkih kretanja. Doktorska disertacija predstavljena je kroz &scaron;est tematskih poglavlja da bi se metodom komparacije i sinteze do&scaron;lo do navedenih zaključaka. Tematska poglavlja imala su za cilj da prikažu i analiziraju sve validne prirodne i antropogene elemente koji sačinjavaju osnov proučavanja turističke rekreacije. Turističko-geografski prikaz Srbije i Crne Gore dat je u najkraćim crtama i služio je samo kao osnov identifikovanja mogućnosti nemačkih iskustava mogu realno biti primenjeni. Na osnovu &scaron;est komplementarnih delova metodom sinteze i komparacije izvedeni su navedeni zaključci.</p> / <p>Federal Republic of Germany is an optimal example for study of tourist recreation because its all developing phases can be observed from the aspect of positive and negative factors, influencing the above stated phases. This highly developed country with high level of living standard and awateness concerning significance of recreation with maximum protection of the environment are main motive for preparation of this doctor&#39;s thesis. German is a country of emitive and imitive tourist mevements. The doctor&#39;s thesis has been presented through six thematic chapters, reaching the conclusion by methods of comparations and syntesis. Thematic chapters were aiming at showing and analyzing of all valid natural and anthropoid lements which are a base for study of tourist recreation. Tourist-geographical survey of Serbia and Montenegro has been give briefly and saved only as a base for kind of identification with German expiriences that can be really implemented. According to the all six complementary parts, the conclusions have been reached by method of syntesis and comparations.</p>