A multisensory virtual experience model for thematic tourism: A Port wine tourism application proposal

Technological evolution has led to a significant transformation in tourism organizations, particularly in those who focus their activities on particular themes or segments, such as wine tourism. This can be transposed to Portuguese wine tourism organizations because the majority lack the necessary information and communication technologies (and inherent technologies) to become globally competitive. As highlighted in the literature, for a tourism experience to become memorable it must be emotional and immersive in such a way that the tourist becomes fully involved with the existing surroundings. This leads to the notion of using virtual reality experiences as triggers for the development of wine tourism. Considering the relevance of Portugal's Douro Valley to the country's wine tourism segment, a theoretical model that supports the implementation of multisensory (hence more immersive) virtual wine tourism experiences is developed. While considering the international success of Port wine tourism, this paper also presents a conceptualization of a multisensory virtual Port wine experience that includes a conceptual perspective and a technological solution proposal.