The landscape of higher education is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by the increasing integration of digital technologies. In tourism education, where experiential and contextual learning is paramount, traditional pedagogical methods—often characterized by passive content delivery—fall short in preparing students for the dynamic and multidimensional nature of the industry. Blended learning environments, which combine face-to-face and online instruction, offer flexibility and reach. However, these environments often struggle to replicate the real-world experiences essential to tourism training. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and immersive technologies such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are now emerging as powerful tools to bridge this gap. This study concludes that these technologies influence the motivation, participation, and perceived value of students and have transformative potential for tourism pedagogy, such as enhancing learning outcomes, student retention, and engagement in blended learning settings.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3373-3815-6.ch009
Publish Year: 2025
