THE EFFECT OF AR/VR APPLICATIONS ON INTENTION TO VISIT MUKAH, SARAWAK: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY AMONG HIGHER INSTITUITIONS STUDENTS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/JTHEM.1143025Keywords:
AR/VR Tourism, Immersive Technologies, Tourism Intention, Rural Tourism, Mukah, Sarawak, MalaysiaAbstract
This study examines how Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) influence tourism intention towards Mukah, Sarawak among Malaysian university students. Data were collected through an online survey involving 422 respondents from public and private higher education institutions. The analysis combined descriptive statistics, thematic analysis, Pearson correlation, and exploratory factor analysis using SPSS version 27. The findings show consistently positive evaluations of the AR/VR experience, particularly in relation to content informativeness, visual clarity, ease of use, and overall satisfaction. A significant positive relationship was found between user satisfaction and intention to visit Mukah (r = .68, p < .01), indicating that immersive applications can strengthen destination interest even before physical travel takes place. The qualitative responses further suggest that respondents valued the experience for its immersive, informative, and engaging qualities. Nevertheless, the results should be interpreted with caution because the sample comprised students rather than actual visitors. Overall, the study suggests that AR/VR can serve as an effective promotional and educational tool for rural tourism destinations.
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