Adoption of Virtual Reality Tourism: A Catalyst for Economic Revitalisation

Abstract

The global tourism industry has significantly grown in the past few years. It gained around 10% of the world’s GDP, which marks around $10.9 trillion in 2024. Besides this, particularly focusing on technological and experiential aspects of the industry, it stands at a critical stage which needs to redefine the needs of the overall industry. Among technologies, VR has played an extensive role in the tourism industry by making a significant contribution of $10 billion in 2024 and is expected to gain a CAGR 30% in the next ten years. North America and Asia Pacific countries dominate the VR tourism industry, contributing in the form of hardware development to transforming the software needs of the industry. Adopting such technologies is a key driver for economic diversification, sustainable growth and resilience, especially for developing countries like Pakistan, which already have an enriched nature and diverse culture.