Virtual tourism as a substitute for physical tourism during COVID-19 pandemic

Adelina Zeqiri ()
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Adelina Zeqiri: GREDEG-CNRS & University Côte d’Azur

Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, 2024, vol. 26, issue 2, No 2, 125-144

Abstract: Abstract The COVID-19 crisis seems to have accelerated the use of virtual tourism. A quantitative methodology is applied to examine whether virtual tourism was perceived as a substitute for physical tourism during the lockdown in Kosovo. Based on the results of a survey of residents of Kosovo, a structural equation model is used to identify what promoted virtual tourism during the lockdown in Kosovo. First, authenticity, enjoyment, and the experience of a tourist flow impacts the intensity of use of virtual tourism. Second, the experience of a tourist flow increases with the level of enjoyment of the virtual tourism experience. Third, the intensity of virtual tourism increases if it is considered a genuine substitute for physical tourism. Fourth, authenticity is crucial for virtual tourism to be perceived as a real substitute for physical tourism. Fifth, the level of digital skills has no effect on the intensity of use of virtual tourism.

Keywords: Virtual tourism; Authenticity; Substitution effect; Enjoyment; COVID-19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1007/s10018-023-00382-0

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