The Impact of Extended Reality in Tourism, During the Pre-Travel Stage
(A2025-125941)

AUTHORS

Athanasios Poulis, University of West Attica, Department of Business Administration; Efthymia Panoutsopoulou, CE.A.R.S Group; Evi Chatzopoulou, University of Patras

ABSTRACT

With the improvement of extender reality technology, new pathways for destination marketing professionals, are discovered. This study examines, the crucial role of extended reality, in shaping travelers' image destination formation and booking intentions. Through immersive experiences such as real-time walkthroughs, virtual maps, and guides, XR enables potential tourists to engage with destinations in a virtual way before making travel decisions. This research uses a detailed survey measuring reactions to XR-enhanced content, determining whether such experiences influence the intention to book vacations. The results show that different elements related to XR technology have a beneficial impact on visitors' level of involvement and their intentions to make bookings. The study revealed numerous crucial observations and the outcomes provide important insights for tourism marketers, emphasizing this way the XR’s potential to improve destination image formation and influence booking decisions.