FROM IMAGINATION TO REALITY: STUDENTS’ PERCEPTION TOWARDS ACCEPTING AND USING VIRTUAL REALITY IN HOSPITALITY HIGHER EDUCATION

The integration of Virtual Reality (VR) into higher education offers transformative potential, particularly in hospitality and tourism, by bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical industry experience. Grounded in the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), this study investigates Egyptian hospitality and tourism students’ perceptions, behavioral intentions, and actual use of VR in educational contexts. A structured online survey was administered to 609 students across nine public universities, employing validated scales for performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, behavioral intention, and actual VR usage. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), enabling robust assessment of measurement and structural models. Findings indicate that performance expectancy significantly influences behavioral intention but does not directly predict VR usage, highlighting intention’s mediating role in the adoption process. In contrast, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions exert both direct and indirect effects on actual use, emphasizing the critical role of usability, peer endorsement, and institutional support. These results extend the UTAUT framework into immersive technology contexts, revealing behavioral intention as a psychosocial commitment mechanism for VR adoption. From a practical perspective, the study underscores the importance of designing user-friendly VR platforms, providing faculty training, and investing in institutional infrastructure to foster meaningful engagement. The findings suggest that effective VR integration requires alignment between technological access, pedagogical objectives, and social acceptance within educational environments. This research offers actionable insights for higher education policymakers, faculty, and curriculum designers seeking to enhance immersive learning, digital literacy, and practical skills among hospitality and tourism students. By highlighting both cognitive and social determinants of VR adoption, the study informs strategies for sustainable, skill-oriented, and experiential learning interventions in higher education.