Beneficial Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic: The Potential of Virtual Heritage Tours for Tourism in Malaysia

Virtual heritage tours aim to recreate historical environments, offering immersive experiences that allow tourists to explore cultural and architectural landmarks remotely. These tours enhance the quality of the tourism experience by presenting visually engaging content and providing educational insights into the heritage and unique features of historical sites. Such virtual experiences create a sense of on-site presence, closely mimicking the authenticity of physical visits. This research investigates virtual heritage tour programs in Malaysia during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The study has two (2) key objectives: first, to assess the efforts of travel agencies in developing virtual tour programs, and second, to evaluate the experiences and satisfaction of virtual tourists participating in these programs. The research classifies virtual heritage tours into three (3) main types: Virtual Reality (VR) tours, live experience tours, and pre-recorded tours. Data was collected by analysing travel agency websites offering virtual heritage services and surveys distributed to participants who experienced the tours. Two (2) travel agencies were selected as case studies. In addition, a survey was administered, targeting 100 respondents, with 72% (72 respondents) completing the questionnaire. The findings provide insights into the types of virtual technologies travel agencies use and highlight the levels of appreciation and engagement among virtual tourists during the pandemic lockdown. This study contributes to understanding the role and impact of virtual heritage tours in maintaining cultural engagement during restricted travel.