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Virtual Reality in Literary Tourism

Pola Q. Wang (School of Hospitality and Tourism, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand)

Virtual Reality (VR) tourism is a form of tourism that employs immersive digital technologies to simulate travel experiences. By utilising VR headsets and other interactive tools, users can explore destinations, cultural sites, and even fictional environments without physically travelling. VR tourism provides a sustainable and inclusive way to engage with tourism, reducing environmental impacts while offering access to individuals who might otherwise face barriers to travel (Zhu et al., 2024). Its applications include destination marketing, immersive storytelling, and educational experiences, which are key in advancing cultural and literary tourism.

However, VR can also be integrated into physical tourism experiences to enhance engagement at literary tourism destinations. At literary sites, VR enhances engagement by offering immersive and interactive experiences that bridge the gap between physical presence and digital immersion. For example, visitors to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre can use VR headsets to experience reconstructions of Elizabethan performances. These applications not only educate visitors about historical theatrical practices but also foster deeper emotional connections to Shakespeare’s works. Similarly, Florence integrates VR into its promotion of Dante’s Divine Comedy, transporting visitors through vivid representations of the poet’s imagined landscapes while physically exploring the city central to his life (Capecchi, 2021). These examples highlight how VR enriches physical visits by adding digital storytelling elements that deepen understanding and engagement

VR’s ability to recreate historical settings and augment fictional worlds has reshaped how literary tourism is experienced. At the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, VR provides an interactive 3D tour of the Secret Annex, guided by AI avatars. This allows visitors unable to travel to access an educational and emotionally resonant experience. Likewise, Florence’s use of VR recreates the hell, purgatory, and paradise from Dante’s works, blending literary and historical elements to attract diverse audiences. Beyond historical settings, literary festivals can benefit from VR installations. A Katherine Mansfield-themed festival could, for example, use VR to recreate early 20th-century Wellington, immersing attendees in the cultural and social dynamics of the era described in her works.

Motivations for literary tourism encompass emotional, intellectual, cultural, and experiential drivers. Emotional motivations, such as connecting with favourite authors or literary worlds, are amplified by VR’s immersive capabilities. At Jane Austen’s Bath, VR can reimagine Regency-era architecture and society, giving visitors a vivid sense of Austen’s world while engaging their emotions. Similarly, a VR tour of James Joyce’s Dublin allows visitors to navigate the streets of early 20th-century Ireland, blending physical exploration with interactive storytelling (Arcos-Pumarola, 2019). Intellectual motivations, such as gaining deeper insights into literary texts and historical contexts, are also supported by VR applications. For instance, VR recreations of Charles Dickens’s London immerse visitors in the social and cultural conditions that inspired his novels, providing a rich educational experience. Cultural motivations, such as a desire to engage with literary heritage, are enhanced by VR’s ability to recreate settings tied to works like Ulysses or Divine Comedy, offering layers of both literary appreciation and cultural exploration.

Experiential motivations are particularly relevant for VR in literary tourism. Unlike traditional tourism, VR enables users to explore fictional or inaccessible worlds, offering unique and memorable interactions. Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy has been vividly rendered in VR, allowing users to navigate its dramatic landscapes of hell, purgatory, and paradise. Such experiences offer unparalleled sensory and intellectual engagement. Similarly, VR has been used to recreate spaces that no longer exist, such as the original Shakespearean Globe Theatre or Middle-earth from Tolkien’s works. By blending the tangible and the imaginary, VR offers tourists a way to experience literary settings that would otherwise remain intangible.

Wellington’s WellTown VR experience demonstrates how VR can integrate literary themes into tourism marketing. Initially designed to showcase the city’s vibrant culture, this platform could be adapted to feature New Zealand’s literary heritage, such as Katherine Mansfield’s stories. Through WellTown, users could explore Wellington during Mansfield’s era, blending cultural tourism with literary storytelling. This approach highlights how VR can serve as both a marketing tool and a medium for immersive cultural education.

Beyond entertainment, VR functions as an educational tool that enriches learning at literary destinations. A VR tour of Tolstoy’s estate in Yasnaya Polyana, for instance, could allow visitors to interact with characters or scenes from War and Peace or Anna Karenina, deepening their appreciation of his works. Similarly, VR installations at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre could provide detailed insights into Elizabethan stagecraft, immersing visitors in the creative processes behind the plays. These applications not only enhance the visitor experience but also preserve the cultural and historical significance of literary sites, ensuring their relevance in the digital age.

However, the integration of VR into literary destinations also presents challenges. High implementation costs and the need for technical expertise may deter smaller sites from adopting this technology. Furthermore, balancing the digital and the physical is crucial to maintaining the authenticity of the visitor experience. VR should enhance, not replace, traditional tourism practices. Despite these challenges, the opportunities VR presents are immense. By addressing accessibility issues, VR ensures that a broader audience can engage with literary tourism. For instance, virtual tours of Emily Dickinson’s home in Amherst or Tolstoy’s estate offer immersive experiences to those unable to travel, democratizing access to literary heritage.

In addition to addressing accessibility, VR promotes sustainability by reducing the environmental footprint of tourism. By offering virtual access to fragile or remote literary sites, VR alleviates the pressures of over-tourism while preserving these spaces for future generations (Jorge et al., 2023). VR also enables the exploration of underrepresented literary traditions. For example, a VR adaptation of R.K. Narayan’s Malgudi Days could transport visitors to the fictional South Indian town of Malgudi, blending cultural heritage with literary storytelling. Similarly, VR could bring Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart to life, immersing users in the landscapes and culture of Nigeria. These applications expand literary tourism beyond the Western canon, enriching the field with diverse voices and geographies (Zhu et al., 2024).

The future of VR in literary tourism holds immense potential. Advancements in technology could lead to highly immersive and personalized experiences (Wang, 2024). For instance, AI-driven VR could enable interactive conversations with virtual avatars of authors like Shakespeare or James Joyce. Future applications might allow users to explore literary works from the perspective of characters, such as walking the streets of 19th-century Paris through the eyes of Victor Hugo’s Jean Valjean. Additionally, VR can recreate historical or fictional settings that are no longer accessible, providing tourists with unparalleled opportunities for education and engagement.

These developments promise to redefine literary tourism, making it more inclusive, interactive, and globally accessible. By integrating VR with traditional tourism practices, literary destinations can ensure that their heritage remains engaging and relevant. Whether through virtual recreations of fictional worlds or enhanced educational tools at physical sites, VR is reshaping literary tourism for a digital age. As technology evolves, VR’s role in literary tourism will undoubtedly expand, offering innovative ways to preserve and celebrate literary heritage for future generations.

How to cite this entry: Wang, P. Q. (2025). Virtual Reality in Literary Tourism. In R. Baleiro, G. Capecchi & J. Arcos-Pumarola (Orgs.), E-Dictionary of Literary Tourism. University for Foreigners of Perugia.

References: 

• Arcos-Pumarola, J. (2019). Assessing literary heritage policies in the context of creative cities. Journal of Spatial and Organizational Dynamics, 7(4), 275-290.

• Capecchi, G. (2021). In the Poets’ Footsteps: Literature, Tourism, and Regional Promotion (Vol. 1). Brill.

• Jorge, F., Sousa, N., Losada, N., Teixeira, M. S., Alén, E., Melo, M., & Bessa, M. (2023). Can Virtual Reality be used to create memorable tourist experiences to influence the future intentions of wine tourists? Journal of Tourism & Development, 43, 67-76. https://doi.org/10.34624/RTD.V43I0.32992

• Wang, P. Q. (2024). Personalizing guest experience with generative AI in the hotel industry: There’s more to it than meets a Kiwi’s eye. Current Issues in Tourism, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2023.2300030

• Zhu, Y., Li, J., Han, X., Wang, R., Wang, C., & Pu, C. (2024). Embracing the future: Perceived value, technology optimism and VR Tourism behavioral outcomes among Generation Z. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2024.2322203