Comparison of Virtual Reality Visualizations With Traditional Visualizations in Hotel Settings

Abstract

The objective of the current study was to investigate how virtual reality (VR) visualizations compare with traditional visualizations such as two-dimensional (2D) photos as a marketing tool for hotel websites. The specific research question was “How do VR visualizations compare with 2D photos in terms of (1) affective responses, (2) attitudinal/behavioral responses, and (3) cognitive load—that is, task efforts and experiences associated with technology?” A quasi-experimental study was conducted over two time periods with independent sample pools. A boutique hotel lobby and a guest room were captured in 2D and VR formats. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of the two types of visualizations. The sample comprised 84 university undergraduate students from the South-Central United States. Nonparametric tests were used to test the proposed hypotheses. There was a statistically significant difference between two visual conditions for several variables—that is, pleasure, satisfaction, word of mouth, and so on. However, those differences were not always consistent between the two time periods. Overall findings suggest that the use of VR visualizations as a promotional tool might not be more effective than traditional photos. Limitations of the study include using students as a proxy for the general population of travelers, small sample size, self-reported measures, and narrow conditional scope. Those limitations should be addressed in future studies.

Artificial intelligence: a systematic review of methods and applications in hospitality and tourism

“…In the tourism and hospitality businesses, VR technology is becoming popular (Han et al, 2014;Loureiro et al, 2020). These industries demonstrate a 3D video to create "virtual travel", "hotel tour" and "booking interface" experiences for customers (Guttentag, 2010;Slevitch et al, 2020;Wei, 2019). For instance, in virtual hotel tours, consumers encounter the hotel atmosphere and amenities in the form of 3D visualisations and videos.…”

Marketing Management in the Hotel Industry: A Systematic Literature Review by Using Text Mining

“…Social circles become the main source of influence, and they are far better than external marketing communication methods. Therefore, new marketing models such as word-of-mouth marketing [17][18][19][20], social media marketing [21][22][23][24], online celebrity marketing [25], and experience marketing [26][27][28][29] have emerged.…”

Imagination Versus Telepresence: Consumer Patronage Intention Toward Peer-to-Peer Accommodations in Photo-Enhanced Imaginative Conditions and Virtual Reality Contexts

“…Consumers are relatively concerned about the functional value of P2P accommodation when they wish to reserve an economical accommodation. During this process, consumers are more inclined to obtain detailed, authentic, high-quality information about accommodations through cognitive engagement (Slevitch et al, 2022) while utilizing analytical thinking to logically evaluate the evidence and weigh the costs and benefits of making reservations. Therefore, VR previews are more suitable than PIC previews because VR stimulates consumers to participate in cognitive engagement, consistent with their utility booking goals, and then make an analytical appraisal.…”

“…Through embodiment, they feel as if they are walking inside a real accommodation and viewing its details (Bogicevic et al, 2021; Flavián et al, 2019). In contrast, PIC preview provides the user with several induced images in a window, that is, beautifying and selectively presenting positive content and thereby stimulating the consumer to form an ideal image of the accommodation (Lourenção et al, 2020; Slevitch et al, 2022).…”