The importance of UI & UX Design in Virtual Reality for Showcasing Umrah Rituals: Impact of Age and Cybersickness in User Experience

نوع المستند : مقالات بحثية

المؤلف

Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

المستخلص

As part of the Saudi strategy 2030 vision for digital transformation that extends to religious tourism, the present study investigates the potential of Virtual Reality (VR) applications in fostering engagement in religious tourism, specifically in a population with a diverse age range. Employing a structural model based on the Technology Acceptance Model, the study incorporates elements related to user intent, examining variables like ease of use, user usefulness, age, past use and cybersickness. The research employed quantitative methods using questionnaires for 200 participants, resulting in a finalized model of 26 items. Our findings reveal significant positive impacts of past use on ease of use and of 3D VR 360 environments on both ease of use and enjoyment. Importantly, the study unveils a positive correlation between age and technology anxiety, as well as age and cybersickness, while highlighting a negative influence of cybersickness on attitudes towards using VR systems. Furthermore, past use of VR applications significantly influenced ease of use. These findings are critical for the refinement of VR systems designed for religious tourism and present implications for age-inclusive design and user well-being, thus serving as a cornerstone for both academic inquiry and practical application in the burgeoning intersection of VR and tourism.

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الموضوعات الرئيسية