Visiting intentions for cultural heritage sites: the role of virtual reality (VR) experiences with wearable computing devices

Research into information technology and tourism has widely emphasized the potential of virtual reality (VR) as a destination-marketing tool. Recently, the introduction of wearable computing devices, such as head mounted displays in the form of smart glasses (i.e. Google Glass, Oculus Rift), supports the creation of new immersive virtual encounters between visitors and tourist attractions with unprecedented opportunities for the marketing of tourism products and destinations. 'Next-generation' VR experiences enabled by these devices can play a key role for promoting cultural tourism sites. Although applications of VR are considered particularly useful for promoting arts and cultural heritage sites, few studies have addressed the role of wearable computing in this context. The purpose of the study is to investigate if the emotional involvement (EI) of users and the perceived visual appeal (PVA) of virtual reality (VR) experiences enabled with wearable computing devices (smart glasses) have a positive impact on the behavioral intention of visitors to a cultural heritage site.