European Capital of Culture (ECoC), as a long-term cultural initiative of the European Union, has inevitably become intertwined with tourism development in designated cities. For almost four decades, medium-sized and small cities across Europe have b...

In the contemporary travel landscape, virtual reality (VR) integration has ushered in a novel paradigm, particularly influential among Generation Z. This demographic, inherently familiar with digital technologies, increasingly gravitates towards virtual tourism, an eco-friendly and resource-conscious alternative to traditional travel. Virtual tourism, the alternative to actual travel, offers immersive experiences that are both accessible and sustainable, reducing the environmental impact associated with conventional tourism. This paper examines how virtual travel could serve as a sustainable travel practice, crucial for preserving cultural and natural resources while providing meaningful experiences. The appeal of virtual tourism lies in its ability to deliver diverse and enriched experiences without the physical and environmental costs of travel. This form of tourism not only aids in conserving sensitive ecosystems and heritage sites but also offers inclusivity for individuals unable to travel due to economic or physical barriers. Furthermore, virtual tourism’s potential to simulate endangered or inaccessible sites can play a pivotal role in educational initiatives and global awareness. This study explores the motivations behind Generation Z’s engagement with virtual travel through detailed analysis and empirical data. It discusses how virtual tourism could be strategically developed to support sustainable tourism practices. This approach underscores a shift towards more responsible and conscious travel behaviours aligned with the sustainable values of Generation Z. The purpose of this paper is to detect the main trends in the development of virtual tourism as the new form of travel, with special emphasis on Generation Z’s preferences in future virtual travel as a substitute for actual physical travel.

The travel industry is entering a challenging new era, with new forms of tourism emerging, enhanced by extended realities and other improvements driven by immersive technologies. The use of augmented reality (AR) at heritage and other cultural tourism locations is becoming a standard for the improved offer, enabling the users to have an immersive experience combining the present and the past of the venue. However, the technological improvements in virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) concepts, with the inevitable emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) in enhancing and co-creating and co-designing of virtual experiences, offers an opportunity for a new branch of the industry – virtual tourism, the form of travel that allows visiting different locations without leaving the place of residence. Virtual tourism does not necessarily represent a threat to the contemporary travel industry, but rather a new opportunity. The new form of tourism could reach both travelers, as an additional offering – cheaper, more affordable, and not as time-consuming as the actual travel, and non-travelers, as the completely new market. The recent COVID-19 pandemic showed that virtual experiences could be a temporary supplement for touristic experiences when travel is not an option. Also, global sustainability policies and consumer trends, accompanied by the “flight shame” phenomenon, and different sorts of travel risks, like health issues and terrorism, together with longevity trends, add additional arguments for virtual tourism as the future of travel. New generations, digital natives of the 21st century, as the ones more open toward new technologies, seem as the logical market for the newly designed tourism products in the metaverse. The book chapter provides an overview of scientific literature on the emergence of immersive tourism, with an emphasis on virtual tourism as a new phenomenon. It deals with potential problems in creating virtual travel experiences that provide an issue for tourism policymakers and propose potential solutions. <!----> <!----> <!----> <!---->