Virtual Tourism in the Peri-and-Post COVID-19 Era: Understanding How Experiential Media Are Utilized in the Making of “Qatar 2022”

Abstract

In this study, we examine how and the degree to which Experiential Media (EM) are utilized to promote travel, sports, and, more broadly, cultural tourism in EM contents produced in the buildup to the 22nd FIFA World Cup to be hosted by Qatar in 2022, the first Arab nation to host the World Cup. Three YouTube channels were considered for this study, namely: Road To 2022, Al Jazeera Contrast, and Qatar Airways. Using a virtual reality head-mounted display and the model of EM framework, we found that all of the nine productions featured limited use of the six qualities of EM. We identified three broad thematic categories: 1) FIFA stadium and travel, 2) use of cutting-edge technology, and 3) Qatar’s history and traditions, and many sub-themes pertaining to travel, lifestyle, and more. We provide practical and managerial implications of EM contents for the tourism industry, sports tourism, and destination marketing.