Assessment of Socio-, Ecological and Economic Consequences of the Virtual Reality Eco-Tours Advancing

Abstract

According to many experts, humanity is on the verge of transformational changes, which are characterized not only by changes in the way of management, but also by changes in the philosophy of human existence. This situation is especially noticeable during crises on a global scale. One such demonstration was the global socio-economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic. It can already be argued that some areas of the information technology industry are experiencing an extremely rapid pace of development, including virtual reality technology. This is especially true against the background of information that one of the negative consequences of the pandemic is an increase in cases of psychological tension in society as a whole and in individuals due to limited physical movement of people. Therefore, the aim of this article was to study the prospects of implementing virtual reality technologies in the tourism business environment based on the identification and justification of possible positive and negative socio-environmental and economic results due to the development of this type of business at the regional level. The idea is to use virtual reality technologies to create a commercial product - "green" tourist tours in Sumy region (Ukraine), the essence of which is to enable tourists from anywhere in the world to virtually visit certain natural and landscape areas of Sumy region. The emphasis is not only on visiting historical architectural monuments, museums, but also on using the recreational potential of natural objects. For example, kayaking on the river Psel, hiking in Spadschansky forests, fishing on the Blue Lakes in Sumy, hunting animals, picking mushrooms, sports tours: running, skiing in the woods near the village. Turners. Thus, the creation of eco-tours of virtual reality can be considered appropriate, because for both internal and external stakeholders, this type of activity is more positive than negative: for employees, the creative component of labor grows, the preconditions are created to increase wages; for consumers, the risks during the trip are reduced, the associated costs disappear, there are more options and opportunities for development; for the region, this type of activity guarantees environmental friendliness and greater interest due to the virtual reality tour in the area.