An empirical comparison of vignette and virtual reality experiments in tourism research

There has been a call for more experimental studies in tourism research. The validity of different experiment tools has not been scientifically investigated. This study empirically compared the results from three experiments with identical research designs but different presentation modes (written vignette vs. VR via a Head Mounted Display vs. VR via a screen) for a research stimulus of experiencing a virtual national park. A total of 272, 131 and 106 valid responses were included in the final analysis, respectively. Participants in each experiment were randomly assigned to one of the three pricing conditions and asked to report post-visit perceptual evaluations and behavioural intention. This research found that the three experiments generated consistent results in the effects of pricing conditions on perceptual evaluations but different results on behavioural intention. Practical implications and limitations were discussed at the end.