Work-in-Progress—Virtual tourism: analysing the impacts on community-based producers and school audiences

Abstract

This work-in-progress paper aims to investigate the benefits and challenges of community-led virtual tourism experiences for local hosts and virtual tourists. Touristic virtualised experiences result from technological advances that revolutionised the tourism sector. An increasing number of virtual tourism products have been presented, seeking to meet the demands of individuals, communities, and organisations to exchange and access different experiences. Virtual mobility experiences produce underexplored opportunities for tourism and related areas, with potential applications in social, environmental, and educational arenas. Local communities are gradually incorporating digital tools into their tourism practices, producing new avenues for income and gathering attention to receive political support. However, studies investigating the local impact and the challenges of going digital still need to be explored. Likewise, studies on the benefits of community-led virtual tourism experiences on school audiences are mostly lacking, despite the relevance of the topic and approach efficacy described in the literature. In this study, we provide preliminary results based on two case studies and present the research design for an ongoing investigation into the impacts of virtual tourism experiences on favela communities and school audiences. Data collection and analyses were performed using qualitative methods, including participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and ethnographic techniques. Our findings indicate that community-led virtual experiences can promote digital engagement with local agendas and raise awareness for territorial issues, despite technological and mobility challenges. Moreover,
the results highlighted the potential of virtual experiences for aiding students in reflective learning and subject engagement in project-based learning activities.