Research on Smart Cultural Tourism Based on Virtual Reality Technology

In the context of accelerating digital transformation of the global tourism industry, Virtual Reality (VR) technology, as a key technology for the development of smart cultural tourism, is reshaping the modes of cultural heritage protection and tourism services. This paper systematically reviews existing research findings and case studies to map the application landscape and development bottlenecks of VR technology in smart cultural tourism. The research focuses on scenarios such as digital restoration of cultural heritage, immersive guided tour experiences, and virtual tourism promotion, analyzing the technical implementation mechanisms such as 3D modeling and digital twins, while revealing the core value of VR technology in breaking through physical space limitations and enhancing the impact of cultural dissemination. Meanwhile, it points out constraints on the large-scale application of the technology, including high equipment costs, data island phenomena, and the disconnection between virtual and real experiences. By integrating cross-disciplinary theories and industry practice data, the paper argues for a development path where technological iteration needs to be coordinated with user experience design, and proposes the necessity of building an open technology ecosystem and unified data standards. This research provides decision-making references for balancing cultural heritage activation and tourism service innovation, with both theoretical and practical significance for achieving the symbiosis of technology empowerment and cultural inheritance.