DIGITAL INNOVATION IN TOURISM: THE ROLE OF AI, AR, AND VR IN ENHANCING TOURIST EXPERIENCES

Abstract

In this research, the author addresses the evolution of emerging digital technologies: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Augmented Reality (AR), and Virtual Reality (VR) in mediating contemporary tourism experiences. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, the rapid integration of these technologies has transformed the delivery, access, and sustainability of tourism services. Building on this work and utilising a sound mixed-methods design with a combination of thematic analysis, bibliometric mapping and a systematic literature review of 102 peer-reviewed articles published between 2019 and 2024, this investigation offers an in-depth analysis of technological innovation surrounding tourism. Results show that the synergy of AI through hyper-personalised, real-time decision-making and inclusive access, AR through context-rich tra-cultural engagement and dynamic crowd management, and VR through immersive destination previews offering environmental awareness and broadening accessibility to overweighted and social limitations, are potentially able to provide a unique multi-smart experience for connecting with the visitors. These techniques act together to support the smart tourism ecosystems which are in accordance with the world sustainability agendas, such as the UN SDGs, specially and particularly through them. The report highlights key challenges including technology fragmentation, infrastructure imbalances, privacy concerns and limited community engagement that impede the responsible and equitable application of these advancements. The paper calls for an integrative policy agenda, ethical design principles and participatory governance to ensure inclusivity, cultural respect and environmental sustainability of digital transformation in tourism. In so doing it reinforces the on-going scholarly debates on the value addition of digital innovation and also provides policy, technological, and destination-specific recommendations for consideration by the policymakers, technologists and tourism parties in the respective context.