Mixed Realities as the New Reality in Tourism: the benefits of new technologies for visitors, workers, and the industry at large

Abstract

The chapter proposes a comprehensive approach to understand not only how AR and VR operate within the tourism industry, but also how Mixed Reality can contribute to enhance the visitor experience and how tourism organizations can move beyond traditional communication and physical experiences into a new approach, that helps them stay relevant in the long term. Since the tourism industry is amongst the most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, changes are essential to ensure an adequate adaptation to the ‘new normal’. Technology enables various tourist activities to generate greater value and opens possibilities for organizations within the industry to be able to extend the visit beyond physical presence, to ensure the safety of workers and visitors, to improve processes and to make them more competitive overall. If this is carried out in collaboration with all stakeholders, one destination can generate a solid network to promote itself and become highly competitive during travel restrictions and in preparation for a post-pandemic new normal.