Review Reports - Virtual Reality for Innovative and Responsible Tourism

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The paper explores the use of Virtual Reality (VR) as an innovative tool to promote responsible tourism and sustainable travel behaviors. The authors conducted an experimental study involving 216 participants who used VR headsets (Meta Quest Pro and HTC Vive) to explore two destinations—one previously visited and one new—via Google Earth VR. Participants completed pre- and post-VR surveys to assess their satisfaction, emotions, and willingness to visit or revisit destinations. Statistical analyses (Wilcoxon, Kruskal–Wallis, Dunn tests, and Spearman correlations) were used to determine the relationships between satisfaction, emotion, and travel intentions. The study found that while VR experiences did not significantly alter participants’ travel intentions overall, satisfaction and positive emotions were strongly associated with greater willingness to travel virtually and potentially physically. The paper positions VR as a sustainable, educational, and inclusive technology capable of supporting responsible tourism.

The paper is well written, however, I have a few suggestions for improving the manuscript:

Abstract

Inculde a summary of the results in the Abstract.

Introduction

The introduction is too long and narrative-heavy, mixing general tourism facts with study objectives. Try to make it more focused
Explicitly state the research gaps of the study at the end of the introduction.
Shorten the contextual discussion (lines 41–63) and emphasize the conceptual link between VR and responsible tourism earlier.

Literature Review

The LR lacks critical synthesis. Much of the section reads as a descriptive summary of various case studies without integrating insights or identifying common patterns.
The authors should summarize the key challenges in operationalizing responsible tourism and connect them to why technological tools like VR are needed.
Include a recent source (post-2022) linking responsible tourism and digital transformation for sustainability.
There is a missed opportunity to critically analyze the gaps—e.g., whether prior studies have evaluated emotional engagement or behavioral intentions using empirical data.
Include a table summarizing prior empirical studies on VR in tourism (authors, method, sample, findings, identified gaps).
I suggest you incorporate most recent studies such as:
- Chen, Z., 2025. Beyond boundaries: exploring the Metaverse in tourism. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 37(4), pp.1257-1275.
- Al-kfairy, M., 2025. Exploring trust and social cognition in the adoption of Metaverse-based museums. Kybernetes.
- and many others

Materials and Methods

The sample is limited to university students and staff, which restricts generalizability. This should be explicitly acknowledged as a limitation and potentially addressed through justification or planned future replication.
The paper should include sample survey items or measurement examples in an appendix (e.g., emotion and satisfaction items).
The authors rely on nonparametric tests; this is appropriate given ordinal data. However, effect sizes should be reported to complement significance values.

Results

Include p-values, z-values, and effect sizes consistently.

Discussion

Include a dedicated “Implications for Responsible Tourism” subsection that elaborates on how VR contributes to sustainability goals, inclusivity, and educational awareness.
Expand on practical implications for tourism policymakers, operators, and cultural institutions.
Limitations should be summarized earlier in this section and followed by future research directions (e.g., cross-cultural validation, use of more interactive VR applications).

Good Luck

Author Response

Thank you for your review. Attached are the responses to all the Reviewer's comments.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

A good updated and interesting research title “Virtual Reality for Innovative and Responsible Tourism”
The research introduction needs more focus on the research gap and contribution. Specify why this research paper is needed, what has not been addressed in previous studies, and what contribution it can make.
Each research aim should be linked directly to the hypotheses and analytical framework.
Try to strengthen the literature review section with more recent and relevant studies (2020–2024).
Identify the underpinning theories background that guided the model (e.g., Technology Acceptance Model, Innovation Diffusion Theory, Resource-Based View). Explain why these theories are adequate.
Identify the study population, sample size determination (e.g., via G*Power), and sampling approach (random, convenience,…).
Indicate the sources and reliability (Cronbach’s α, composite reliability) of all measurement instruments.
Adding demographic or organizational variables could strengthen causal inferences.
Some figures lack proper captions or readability.
Discuss findings in relation to existing literature need more efforts — do they confirm, contradict, or extend previous research?

Author Response

Thank you for your review. Attached are the responses to all the Reviewer's comments.