Tourism and Virtual Reality (VR) in Developing Nations

The use of Virtual Reality (VR) in tourism sector is gaining grounds across the globe. VR is an efficient persuasive marketing promotion tool for tourism stakeholders but its use in developing nations has raised some concerns especially in a ‘growing-tourism’ nation like Nigeria. Can VR replace the...

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Main Authors: Odum Chigozie Jude, Ukekwe, Chike
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: AfricaJournals 2020-03-01
Series:African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.ajhtl.com/uploads/7/1/6/3/7163688/article_6_vol_9_2__2020_nigeria.pdf
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author Odum Chigozie Jude
Ukekwe, Chike
author_facet Odum Chigozie Jude
Ukekwe, Chike
author_sort Odum Chigozie Jude
collection DOAJ
description The use of Virtual Reality (VR) in tourism sector is gaining grounds across the globe. VR is an efficient persuasive marketing promotion tool for tourism stakeholders but its use in developing nations has raised some concerns especially in a ‘growing-tourism’ nation like Nigeria. Can VR replace the alluring, scenic and captivating tourist sites in Nigeria? What are the factors in favor and against the use of VR in Nigeria tourism sector? Possible answers to these questions necessitated this study. Secondary data were the principal means of data generation and the results were analyzed thematically. The study revealed that a developing nation like Nigeria’s adoption of VR into its tourism sector comes with gains and losses respectively. Tourism planning and promotion, preservative and conservative values, insecurity challenges and the tainted image of Nigeria favor the use of VR in the sector but economic losses via reduction in dwindling-poor-tourists traffic, decline in patronage of existing destinations stifle development of unidentified potential tourists site, discourage the application of VR in the nation’s tourism. VR application in Nigeria holds dual stand of which in-depth investigation is imperative before its application to Nigeria’s tourism sector. The need for Nigeria’s apex tourism organization (NTDC) and other state owned tourism ministries and parastatals to study VR pros and cons in tourism is a probable right path in the 21st Century. The study serves as a pointer to policy makers and academia of the vicissitudes of VR application in developing nations, with attendant value to neighboring countries and nations with interest in tourism due to the unpredictable future of VR which keeps evolving daily.
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spelling doaj.art-3e129faf83bd43d5b1315a77133d652c2022-12-21T22:11:52ZengAfricaJournalsAfrican Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure2223-814X2020-03-0192Tourism and Virtual Reality (VR) in Developing NationsOdum Chigozie Jude0Ukekwe, Chike 1Department of Archaeology and Tourism University of NigeriaDepartment of Geography University of NigeriaThe use of Virtual Reality (VR) in tourism sector is gaining grounds across the globe. VR is an efficient persuasive marketing promotion tool for tourism stakeholders but its use in developing nations has raised some concerns especially in a ‘growing-tourism’ nation like Nigeria. Can VR replace the alluring, scenic and captivating tourist sites in Nigeria? What are the factors in favor and against the use of VR in Nigeria tourism sector? Possible answers to these questions necessitated this study. Secondary data were the principal means of data generation and the results were analyzed thematically. The study revealed that a developing nation like Nigeria’s adoption of VR into its tourism sector comes with gains and losses respectively. Tourism planning and promotion, preservative and conservative values, insecurity challenges and the tainted image of Nigeria favor the use of VR in the sector but economic losses via reduction in dwindling-poor-tourists traffic, decline in patronage of existing destinations stifle development of unidentified potential tourists site, discourage the application of VR in the nation’s tourism. VR application in Nigeria holds dual stand of which in-depth investigation is imperative before its application to Nigeria’s tourism sector. The need for Nigeria’s apex tourism organization (NTDC) and other state owned tourism ministries and parastatals to study VR pros and cons in tourism is a probable right path in the 21st Century. The study serves as a pointer to policy makers and academia of the vicissitudes of VR application in developing nations, with attendant value to neighboring countries and nations with interest in tourism due to the unpredictable future of VR which keeps evolving daily.https://www.ajhtl.com/uploads/7/1/6/3/7163688/article_6_vol_9_2__2020_nigeria.pdftechnologytourismnigeriavirtual realitymarketing tool
spellingShingle Odum Chigozie Jude
Ukekwe, Chike
Tourism and Virtual Reality (VR) in Developing Nations
African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure
technology
tourism
nigeria
virtual reality
marketing tool
title Tourism and Virtual Reality (VR) in Developing Nations
title_full Tourism and Virtual Reality (VR) in Developing Nations
title_fullStr Tourism and Virtual Reality (VR) in Developing Nations
title_full_unstemmed Tourism and Virtual Reality (VR) in Developing Nations
title_short Tourism and Virtual Reality (VR) in Developing Nations
title_sort tourism and virtual reality vr in developing nations
topic technology
tourism
nigeria
virtual reality
marketing tool
url https://www.ajhtl.com/uploads/7/1/6/3/7163688/article_6_vol_9_2__2020_nigeria.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT odumchigoziejude tourismandvirtualrealityvrindevelopingnations
AT ukekwechike tourismandvirtualrealityvrindevelopingnations