Virtual reality has played a crucial role in the promotion of tourist destinations. Although new media technology can improve destination marketing effectiveness, empirical support for the benefit of virtual tours is still lacking. A between-subjects experiment (N = 118) was designed to examine whether a 3D virtual tour led to more favorable destination image. The results not only confirmed the hypothesis but also revealed the mediating role of spatial presence. Details about the effects of immersive advertising on consumer responses are presented, and theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.
