Written Vignette Experiment versus Virtual Reality Experiment in Tourism Research: An Empirical Comparison

Tourism scholars call for more experimental research to further our understanding of the tourism phenomenon. Due to the difficulty of conducting field experiments, most experimental research in tourism has been laboratory experiments. The use of virtual reality (VR) in laboratory experiments has been discussed to overcome the external validity criticism of laboratory experiments. However, its validity has not been scientifically explored yet. This study conducted a written vignette experiment and a VR experiment with the same research design to examine if the two experiments provide comparable results. The results showed that the two experiments yielded different results from the same research design. Specifically, the VR experiment provided more valid results in behavioral outcomes (e.g., revisit intentions) than the written vignette experiment, while both experiments showed similar results in mentalistic outcomes (e.g., satisfaction, perceived price value). Several practical implications were suggested