INTENTION TO USE VIRTUAL REALITY IN SARAWAK TOURISM DESTINATIONS: A TEST OF STIMULUS-ORGANISM-RESPONSE (S-O-R) MODEL

Abstract

The industry of tourism in Malaysia is highly recognized for its contribution to the national economy and employment opportunities. However, following the strike of global epidemic due to COVID-19, the number of visitations by tourists has plunged and Malaysia is currently in its stage of revitalizing the industry post-COVID-19. To rejuvenate the tourism industry of Sarawak, Malaysia, the understanding of motivators to boost favourable tourists’ behaviours is crucial, given the ever-changing situation in the tourism market. This study explored the relationship between dimensions of Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-OR) model, particularly in tourism destinations of Sarawak with the adoption of Virtual Reality (VR) technology. The survey was participated by 250 tourists and the proposed model was evaluated using WarpPLS 8.0. The statistical findings revealed the significant positive relationships between all tested constructs (i.e., media richness, presence, utilitarian and hedonic value, behavioural and visit intention). The implications of these findings are further discussed.

Keywords

• virtual reality
• behavioral intention
• tourists
• s-o-r model
• malaysia