Interactive non-immersive VR and tourism destinations: The impact of technological traits on satisfaction and behavioral outcomes.

Interactive non-immersive virtual reality (niVR) enables users to explore 3D environments, interact with information points, and control their visit’s depth and pace, offering an experience similar to a real visit. Interest in such platforms is growing, yet tourism literature has largely examined individual applications by single tourist actors like hotels or museums, overlooking the perspective of tourism destination brands. This study addresses this gap by investigating which technological features affect user satisfaction and whether satisfaction influences behavioural outcomes. To this end, participants explored a tourism destination through an interactive niVR platform and completed a structured questionnaire. Findings contribute to tourism destination marketing literature by expanding knowledge on behavioural intentions elicited by virtual experiences. Practically, the results can support Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) in effectively integrating niVR into marketing strategies, highlighting features that enhance user satisfaction and engagement, thereby supporting more impactful digital promotion of tourism destinations.