Virtual Immersive Platforms as a Strategic Innovative Destination Marketing Tool in the COVID-19 Era

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

·         The paper titled “Virtual Immersive Platforms as A Strategic Innovative Destination Marketing Tool in the Covid Period” addresses an interesting topic in an efficient and well-analyzed way.

·         The aim of the paper is clear and the reference on existing knowledge (literature) about strategy and its combination with immersive technologies is sufficient. 

·         The research also has a concluding summary and records some of the contemporary concerns of VR/AR technologies. It also demonstrates useful results based on tourist destination marketing platforms, in order to correspond to the requirement of the covid era.

·         New and innovative ideas about an Immersive Destination Marketing App and the role of disruptive technologies can be found in the paper, while new findings about the covid period and the platform data have been incorporated in the text.

·         The paper records some of the contemporary concerns of tourism stakeholders in order to offer their VR/ AR/360 technologies. Furthermore, a case study of a specific destination (Western Greece), which used the above-mentioned platform is presented.

·         The paper also enriches existing knowledge on smart destinations.

Author may wish to take into consideration the following comments, in order to enhance the paper.

·         The importance and scientific contribution of the paper must be presented in a short and clear way in the introduction section.

·         Α paragraph which connects the theoretical with the methodological section of the paper could be useful.

·         The paper is not reader friendly. The paragraphs, and length of the sentences, do not have an appealing layout and methodology, which could fit more to theory. Author may wish to improve writing style.

·         The research should be clearly focused on tourism professionals and not on tourists generally.

·         The conclusion section should focus on revealing the link between the theory, the analyzed platform and the results.

Author Response

Author may wish to take into consideration the following comments, in order to enhance the paper.

• The importance and scientific contribution of the paper must be presented in a short and clear way in the introduction section.

Change made at the introduction paragraph

• Α paragraph which connects the theoretical with the methodological section of the paper could be useful.

Change made at the introduction paragraph

• The paper is not reader friendly. The paragraphs, and length of the sentences, do not have an appealing layout and methodology, which could fit more to theory. Author may wish to improve writing style.

Change made in order to be more reader friendly

• The research should be clearly focused on tourism professionals and not on tourists generally.

I withdrew the tourist category on the research

• The conclusion section should focus on revealing the link between the theory, the analyzed platform and the results.

Changes made from line 460 to 465

Reviewer 2 Report

Dear Authors,

Thank you for submitting your manuscript to the journal, which I read with interest. The motivation and research topic needs to be clarified, that is, why this research is important and how the literature developed and references should be increased.

Intro is too short...Need to extent it based on theoric literature...

Need to change the place of Literature and methodology...

 The literature related to the research direction of the article should be added. (Please visit: https://doi.org/10.3390/su14137889)

No findings, open a section as a Findings

Conclusions part is too short need to extent it and add future direction and limitations...

Author Response

The motivation and research topic needs to be clarified, that is, why this research is important and how the literature developed and references should be increased.

Done

Intro is too short...Need to extent it based on theoric literature...

Need to change the place of Literature and methodology...

I change Litrature and methodology (new place line 164)

 The literature related to the research direction of the article should be added. (Please visit: https://doi.org/10.3390/su14137889)

It is added at the parts 2.1 and 5.1

No findings, open a section as a Findings

Changes made from 440 to 455.

Conclusions part is too short need to extent it and add future direction and limitations...

Changes made from line 460 to 465

Reviewer 3 Report

Abstract systematics need to be improved: objectives, methods, results and discussion of research results. In the introduction, the argument for the need for research is not strong enough for novelty, the formulation and objectives of the research are not clearly stated. the research methods section needs to be explained in more detail based on the research design objectives of what mix method is used. describe data sources, data collection techniques, sampling techniques, data analysis techniques and research validity strategies. The research results must be in accordance with the research objectives. The results of the study are discussed with the results of the latest relevant research. Conclusions are made clearer to answer the problem formulation or research objectives.

Author Response

Abstract systematics need to be improved: objectives, methods, results and discussion of research results. In the introduction, the argument for the need for research is not strong enough for novelty,

See changes from line 12-18

the formulation and objectives of the research are not clearly stated. the research methods section needs to be explained in more detail based on the research design objectives of what mix method is used. See changes from line 342- 355

describe data sources, data collection techniques, sampling techniques, data analysis techniques and research validity strategies.

See changes from line 342-355 and about source from line 392-395

The research results must be in accordance with the research objectives. The results of the study are discussed with the results of the latest relevant research. Conclusions are made clearer to answer the problem formulation or research objectives.

Changes made from 440 to 455 and from line 460 to 465

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

I have 2 minor comment

1) Intro part is still too short 

2) and second one is "I could not see added literature in the paper"

 The literature related to the research direction of the article should be added. (Please visit: https://doi.org/10.3390/su14137889)

Author Response

I appreciate your constructive feedback. Please find the updated version of my paper attached.

1) Intro part is still too short

Changes are made at lines 43-52

2) and second one is "I could not see added literature in the paper"

Changes are made at lines 460-462

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

Thank you for correcting the manuscript according to the reviews

Author Response

I appreciate your constructive feedback. Please find the updated version of my paper attached.

Round 3

Reviewer 2 Report

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