IMMERSIVE CULTURAL TOURISM IN THE CONTEXT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC – GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES AND LOCAL IMPACTS

The crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has strongly affected tourism projections for 2020 and has temporarily halted the global tourism and travel industry. The economic impact on the global economy could have lasting consequences, with the temporary pandemic regime hitting tourism the hardest. The paper provides an overview of tourism perspectives during and after the COVID-19 crisis, with an emphasis on cultural tourism and related facilities (cultural heritage, cultural attractions). The paper also examines the possibilities of using technology in redefining cultural tourism and creating a new – immersive cultural tourism model. The purpose of this paper is to point out the changes that modern technologies, with an emphasis on some of the immersive technologies, has on the trends in cultural tourism. Methods of analysis and synthesis, survey method and descriptive method were used in the creation of the paper. The research proved a significant trend of increasing interest in the concepts of virtual tourism and immersive cultural tourism, particularly in the context of reduced travel opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The limitations of the research relate to the relatively small survey sample, lack of Generation Z respondents as digital natives, and accelerated technological changes, as well as new trends that are emerging due to technological advances. The scientific contribution is visible in the contribution to the discussion on the use of augmented reality technologies in cultural tourism and the promotion of cultural heritage. Also, the contribution is visible in setting up a conceptual model of immersive cultural tourism.