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Article | Journal of Digital Marketing and Communication | Volume 5 - Issue 2 - 2025 | 170−183 | https://doi.org/10.53623/jdmc.v5i2.905
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Towards a Phygital Experience: Analyzing the Role of Virtual Tourism in the Attractiveness of Island Territories

Author(s): Amal Turki Makni ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0002-6484-9997
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Doctor of Marketing, IHEC Carthage – University of Carthage, Carthage, Tunisia

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Journal of Digital Marketing and Communication

Volume 5 - Issue 2 - 2025

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ABSTRACT: Islands faced challenges related to tourism dependence and the fragility of their ecosystems. Virtual tourism (VT) emerged as an innovative solution, extending and enriching the tourist experience while reducing pressure on physical sites. This research examined the role of VT as a lever for phygital marketing, aiming to increase the attractiveness of island destinations while supporting their sustainability. It adopted a multi-stakeholder qualitative approach, combining semi-structured interviews with tourists and managers to capture perceptions, practices, and interactions related to VT. The results showed that VT enriched the tourist experience, fostered emotional and cognitive engagement, facilitated interactions with local stakeholders and other visitors, and contributed to more sustainable and responsible tourism. This study highlighted concrete recommendations allowing tourism professionals to integrate VT into the enhancement of island destinations by supporting the development of an innovative, responsible, and sustainable phygital experience.

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SUBMITTED: 19 November 2025
ACCEPTED: 15 December 2025
PUBLISHED: 20 December 2025
SUBMITTED to ACCEPTED: 27 days
DOI: https://doi.org/10.53623/jdmc.v5i2.905

Cite this article
Turki Makni, A. (2025). Towards a Phygital Experience: Analyzing the Role of Virtual Tourism in the Attractiveness of Island Territories. Journal of Digital Marketing and Communication, 5(2), 170−183. https://doi.org/10.53623/jdmc.v5i2.905
Keywords
Virtual reality insularity virtual experience multi-stakeholder approach immersive experience
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