Virtual reality acceptance in tourism product information: A study among young travelers in Pulau Pangkor, Perak
Abstract
Virtual reality (VR) refers to a computer-generated simulation that facilitates interaction between users and digital systems, offering immersive three-dimensional (3D) visual experiences that closely replicate real-world environments. This technology is particularly advantageous for presenting tourism product information. In recent years, VR has garnered substantial attention within Malaysia’s tourism industry due to its capacity to deliver interactive, engaging and distinctive experiences for tourists. Conventionally, acquiring tourism-related information at physical tourism counters can be both time-intensive and costly, as it typically involves direct, face-to-face engagement. VR presents an innovative alternative by enabling young travelers to obtain tourism information remotely, without the need for physical presence. As an emerging technology, VR demonstrates significant commercial potential, particularly within the tourism domain. This study seeks to explore the acceptance and ace of VR for accessing tourism product information among young travelers in Pulau Pangkor, Perak. A non-probability convenience sampling technique was employed, whereby questionnaires were distributed to a sample of 100 young respondents. The results indicated that Hedonic Motivation exhibited the strongest correlation with behavioural intention to use VR (Pearson’s r = .781), identifying it as the principal factor influencing VR adoption. These findings suggest that young travelers are increasingly receptive to VR as a viable alternative to traditional means of obtaining tourism information, such as physical tourism counters or online searches. The study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by providing empirical evidence on VR adoption in the Malaysian tourism context and offers valuable insights for future research and technological development in this area.
Full text article
References
Adachi, R., Cramer, E. M., & Song, H. (2022). Using virtual reality for tourism marketing: A mediating role of self-presence. The Social Science Journal, 59(4), 657–670. https://doi.org/10.1080/03623319.2020.1727245
Adams, S. H., Schaub, J. P., Nagata, J. M., Park, M. J., Brindis, C. D., & Irwin, C. E. Jr. (2021). Young adult perspectives on COVID-19 vaccinations. Journal of Adolescent Health, 69(3), 511–514.
Arnett, J. J., & Tanner, J. L. (2016). The emergence of emerging adulthood: The new life stage between adolescence and young adulthood. In Routledge handbook of youth and young adulthood (pp. 50–56). Routledge.
Atzeni, M., Del Chiappa, G., & Mei Pung, J. (2022). Enhancing visit intention in heritage tourism: The role of object-based and existential authenticity in non-immersive virtual reality heritage experiences. International Journal of Tourism Research, 24(2), 240–255. https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.2497
Azalan, N. S., Mokhtar, M. M., & Karim, A. H. A. (2022). Modelling e-Zakat acceptance among Malaysians: An application of the UTAUT model during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Azmi, E., Che Rose, R. A., Awang, A., & Abas, A. (2023). Innovative and competitive: A systematic literature review on new tourism destinations and products for tourism supply. Sustainability, 15(2), 1187.
Batoro, B. (2020). Evaluation factors influencing the use of Go-Pay with the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 model. In 1st Annual Management, Business and Economic Conference (AMBEC 2019) (pp. 211–214). Atlantis Press.
Beck, J., Rainoldi, M., & Egger, R. (2019). Virtual reality in tourism: A state-of-the-art review. Tourism Review, 74(3), 586–612.
Bower, M., DeWitt, D., & Lai, J. W. (2020). Reasons associated with preservice teachers’ intention to use immersive virtual reality in education. British Journal of Educational Technology, 51(6), 2215–2233.
Bracq, M. S., Michinov, E., Arnaldi, B., Caillaud, B., Gibaud, B., Gouranton, V., & Jannin, P. (2019). Learning procedural skills with a virtual reality simulator: An acceptability study. Nurse Education Today, 79, 153–160.
Bretos, M. A., Ibáñez-Sánchez, S., & Orús, C. (2023). Applying virtual reality and augmented reality to the tourism experience: A comparative literature review. Spanish Journal of Marketing - ESIC.
Cham, T.-H., Tan, G., Aw, E., Ooi, K.-B., Jee, T.-W., & Pek, C.-K. (2023). Virtual reality in tourism: Adoption scepticism and resistance. Tourism Review, 79. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-10-2022-0479
Cottin, M., Blum, K., Konjufca, J., Quevedo, Y., Kaaya, S., Behn, A., ... & Zimmermann, R. (2022). Digital use of standardized assessment tools for children and adolescents: Can available paper-based questionnaires be used free of charge in electronic format? BMC Psychiatry, 22(1), 379.
De Keyser, A., Köcher, S., Alkire, L., Verbeeck, C., & Kandampully, J. (2019). Frontline service technology infusion: Conceptual archetypes and future research directions. Journal of Service Management, 30(1), 156–183. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-03-2018-0082
Fan, X., Jiang, X., & Deng, N. (2022). Immersive technology: A meta-analysis of augmented/virtual reality applications and their impact on tourism experience. Tourism Management, 91, 104534. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2022.104534
Fareed, A. S., & Kirkil, G. (2025). Integrating technology acceptance model with UTAUT to increase the explanatory power of the effect of HCI on students’ intention to use e-learning system and perceived success. IEEE Access.
Fuchs, M. (2009). Differences in the visual design language of paper-and-pencil surveys versus web surveys: A field experimental study on the length of response fields in open-ended frequency questions. Social Science Computer Review, 27(2), 213–227.
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
Hashem, M., Joolee, J. B., Hassan, W., & Jeon, S. (2021). Soft pneumatic fingertip actuator incorporating a dual air chamber to generate multi-mode simultaneous tactile feedback. Applied Sciences, 12(1), 175. https://doi.org/10.3390/app12010175
Hilken, T., Chylinski, M., Keeling, D. I., Heller, J., Ruyter, K., & Mahr, D. (2021). How to strategically choose or combine augmented and virtual reality for improved online experiential retailing. Psychology & Marketing, 39(3), 495–507. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21600
Huang, F. H. (2020). Adapting UTAUT2 to assess user acceptance of an e-scooter virtual reality service. Virtual Reality. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10055-019-00424-7
Jailani, M. K., & Nurbatra, L. H. (2019). Virtual reality system for job interview application: A development research. Celtic: A Journal of Culture, English Language Teaching, Literature and Linguistics, 6(1), 31–50.
Jorge, F., Losada, N., & Teixeira, M.-S. (2023). Behavioural intentions through virtual reality from a destination image perspective. Journal of Place Management and Development, 16(3), 347–366. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPMD-02-2022-0016
Khodabandeh, F. (2022). Exploring the applicability of virtual reality-enhanced education on extrovert and introvert EFL learners’ paragraph writing. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-022-00334-w
Kim, M. J., Lee, C.-K., & Jung, T. (2020). Exploring consumer behavior in virtual reality tourism using an extended stimulus–organism–response model. Journal of Travel Research, 59(1), 69–89. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287518818915
Koumoutzis, A., Cichy, K. E., Dellmann-Jenkins, M., & Blankemeyer, M. (2021). Age differences and similarities in associated stressors and outcomes among young, midlife, and older adult family caregivers. The International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 92(4), 431–449.
Kunjuraman, V., Hussin, R., & Aziz, R. C. (2022). Community-based ecotourism as a social transformation tool for rural community: A victory or a quagmire? Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, 39, 100524.
Lee, S. W., & Xue, K. (2020). A model of destination loyalty: Integrating destination image and sustainable tourism. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 25(4), 393–408.
Lefever, S., Dal, M., & Matthíasdóttir, Á. (2007). Online data collection in academic research: Advantages and limitations. British Journal of Educational Technology, 38(4), 574–582.
Meena, R., & Sarabhai, S. (2023). Extrinsic and intrinsic motivators for usage continuance of hedonic mobile apps. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 71, 103228.
Peng, Y., Zhu, Q., Wang, B., & Ren, J. (2020). A cross-sectional study on interference control: Age affects reactive control but not proactive control. PeerJ, 8, e8365. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.8365
Richard, J. B., Clare, S., & Heather, B. (Eds.). (2015). Investing in the health and well-being of young adults. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
Saha, P. K., Lopa, I. A., Sathi, J. F., Rimi, S. D., & Dilshad, A. (2021). Integrating product development in achieving tourism sustainability. In A. Hassan (Ed.), Tourism products and services in Bangladesh (pp. 317–332). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4279-8_18
Sharif, A., & Raza, S. A. (2017). The influence of hedonic motivation, self-efficacy, trust, and habit on adoption of internet banking: A case of developing country. International Journal of Electronic Customer Relationship Management, 11(1), 1–22.
Sobarna, A., Saefullah, K., & Hadian, S. D. (2025). Virtual reality application in rural tourism experience. International Journal of Applied Business Research, 7(1), 24–40.
Sun, N., Liu, W., & Zheng, Z. (2023). Campus outdoor environment, learning engagement, and the mental health of college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Frontiers in Public Health, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1143635
Talwar, S., Kaur, P., Nunkoo, R., & Dhir, A. (2023). Digitalization and sustainability: Virtual reality tourism in a post-pandemic world. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 31(11), 2564–2591.
Venkatesh, V., Morris, M. G., Davis, G. B., & Davis, F. D. (2003). User acceptance of information technology: Toward a unified view. MIS Quarterly, 27(3), 425–478. https://doi.org/10.2307/30036540
Venkatesh, V., Thong, J. Y. L., & Xu, X. (2012). Consumer acceptance and use of information technology: Extending the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology. MIS Quarterly, 36(1), 157–178. https://doi.org/10.2307/41410412
Wang, Y., & Hemchua, S. (2022). Can we learn about culture by EFL textbook images? A semiotic approach perspective. Language Related Research, 13(3), 479–499. https://doi.org/10.52547/lrr.13.3.19
Weijdom, J. (2022). Performative prototyping in collaborative mixed reality environments: An embodied design method for ideation and development in virtual reality. In Proceedings of the Sixteenth International Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction. https://doi.org/10.1145/3490149.3501316
Weissblueth, E., & Nissim, Y. (2018). The contribution of virtual reality to social and emotional learning in pre-service teachers. Creative Education, 9(10), 1551–1564.
Wirawan, I. M. T. A., & Gading, I. K. (2022). Interactive PowerPoint learning media on science content for fifth grade elementary school.
Xie, B., Liu, H., Alghofaili, R., Zhang, Y., Jiang, Y., Lobo, F. D., ... & Yu, L. F. (2021). A review on virtual reality skill training applications. Frontiers in Virtual Reality, 2, 645153.
Zarrett, N. R., & Schulenberg, J. E. (2006). Mental health during emerging adulthood: Continuity and discontinuity in courses, causes, and functions.
Zhang, N., Chen, X., & Yin, H. (2020). Significance and possibility of VR technology embedded in the teaching of ideological and political theory courses in colleges and universities. IEEE Access.
Zwain, A. A. A. (2019). Technological innovativeness and information quality as neoteric predictors of users’ acceptance of learning management system: An expansion of UTAUT2. Interactive Technology and Smart Education, 16(3), 239–254. https://doi.org/10.1108/ITSE-09-2018-0065
Authors
Copyright (c) 2025 Aris Abdul Rahman
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.