Virtual Reality Tour Research Articles

How VR Technological Features Prompt Tourists’ Visiting Intention: An Integrated Approach

To achieve sustainable tourism, the tourism development authorities have used advanced technologies to promote destinations, attract visitors, and protect the environment. Accordingly, while the available research on tourism technologies indicates that virtual reality (VR) matters in the visit intention of potential tourists, the mechanism of their inner senses when experiencing VR technologies is overlooked. To fill in this void, this study develops a comprehensive conceptual model for investigating the influence of VR technological features on tourists’ minds, and consequently, their destination visit intention. This study integrates the technology acceptance model, stimuli-organism-response model, and flow theory into a unified conceptual model for a comprehensive understanding of tourists’ behavior. By focusing on tourists’ decision-making and behavior processes, this study sheds new light on how VR stimuli (i.e., vividness and interactivity) could translate into tourists’ attitudes and visiting intentions. This conceptual model is then tested and validated using structural equation modeling on survey data collected from 311 VR users after experiencing virtual tours designed for destinations in Vietnam. The findings indicate that virtual tours affect tourists’ psychological well-being, which translates into visiting intention. Based on the results, this study emphasizes the role of VR as a powerful marketing tool to promote a destination. Furthermore, approaches to enhance the effectiveness of VR tours, particularly, for tourism developers, are proposed. This study thus contributes to the literature in the area of VR tourism, contributing both theoretical and practical knowledge.

Usability of Lampung Heritage Virtual Reality Tour

Lampung Heritage Virtual Reality Tour was developed as a tool to educate the importance of Lampung’s historical heritage. It represents eight Lampung historical heritage sites in the virtual reality world, namely the Lampung Museum, Thay Hin Bio Vihara, Al-Anwar Mosque, Lampung Siger Tower, Krakatau Monument, Kerti Bhuana Temple, Nuwo Sesat Traditional House, and the Japanese Caves. Functional features of the Lampung Heritage Virtual Reality Tour are visiting virtual tourist spots and viewing information on virtual tourist attractions. Digital tourists can select a virtual tourist spot with the location panel. The user perception and satisfaction require a qualitative measurement to understand its impact on educating Lampung's historical heritage. Using usability, we should understand the quality of the Lampung Heritage Virtual Reality Tour. The tools to measure the usability level of the application are the User Acceptance Test and the System Usability Scale. There were 15 questions User Acceptance Test (UAT) with a composition of five questions affordance, four questions signifier, and six questions feedback. According to the SUS standard, we asked ten questions on the System Usability Scale (SUS). The result for UAT was an average of 95.75%, which consist of 95.00% affordance, 94.79% signifier, and 97.45% feedback. The result of SUS was Good, based on a score of 83.39. The Lampung Heritage Virtual Reality Tour meets good usability standards, making the application suitable.

Creation of a Virtual Tour .Exe Utilizing Very High-Resolution RGB UAV Data

In the last decades, developments in game engine technology led to a raised attraction to the virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) concepts which offer users an interactive synthetic environment. Also, with the travel limitations of the current COVID-19 pandemic, VR tour applications that visualize the geospatial data gained popularity more than ever. In this study, a three-dimensional (3D) VR tour application was created for Gebze Technical University (GTU) Campus by integrating unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) data into an artificial environment by using cross-platform game development engine Unity. For creating high-quality 3D models of the Campus, different imaging geometries and flight altitudes were applied. The aerial photos were achieved with a ground sampling distance (GSD) of ≤2.2 cm with a 20 megapixel (MP) Sony Exmor RGB camera. Point cloud processing and the generation of high-quality 3D products were carried out by structure from motion (SfM) based photogrammetric software Agisoft Metashape. Using 86 well-distributed ground control points (GCPs), geometric correction accuracy of ±2 cm (~0.9 pixels) was reached as root mean square error (RMSE). Generated 3D models were imported into the Unity environment and the negative influence of high polygon data on the application performance was reduced by applying occlusion culling and space subdivision rendering optimization algorithms. The visual potential of the VR was improved by adding 3D individual object models such as trees, benches and arbors. For enhancing the information content of the VR tour, interactive information panels including the building metadata such as building name, block name and total floor area were placed. Finally, a first-person player was implemented for a realistic VR experience.

Achieving Deep Learning through Integration of 360° Virtual Reality Tour, Hands-on Experience, and Simulation-Based Design in a Project-Based Laboratory

We present an integrated project-based learning (PBL) asset integrating 360° virtual reality tour, high-fidelity simulation, and simulation-based design for chemical engineering laboratory courses. The 360° virtual reality tour integrated with videos and learning lessons of distillation equipment components is based on a pilot-scale distillation column of the standard industrial design and an authentic separation system of renewable bioethanol. The dedicated simulation modules, tailored for process simulation and simulation-based design anchored on rigorous theoretical methods, provide students with accurate process performance scenarios and genuine process design practice. The unique combination of virtual reality and high-fidelity simulation enables students of all academic years to explore the connections among the process equipment and operation, underlying concepts, simplifying assumptions and sustainable design with high-level efficiency, depth, and flexibility. The integrated learning modules also contain content-appropriate learning activities and expected learning outcomes for all academic levels, and culminates in senior year as a project-based design laboratory focusing on sustainable design of equipment, systems, and processes, along with hands-on laboratory. Altogether, the integrated learning based on the exploration of the real-world process is structured to support efficient, student-oriented, and design-centric learning for students to acquire knowledge and engineering skills of integrated real-world systems and develop cognitive ability for problem solving. In particular, the integrated learning in the open-ended PBL with design component is expected to help students achieve higher-level learning outcomes and critical engineering skills.

Realistic walking experience for system-automated virtual reality tour

Realistic walking experience for system-automated virtual reality tour

Virtual Reality Tour Sebagai Media Informasi Pengenalan Gedung Kampus 2 Universitas 'Aisyiyah Surakarta

In this era of modernization, technology is a very important aspect, almost every line of life requires the help of technology to make work easier. Through technology, almost every information in the world can be accessed easily and quickly. The information obtained is not only in the form of text, but it can also be in other forms such as images or photos or videos. One type of photo technology, namely 360-degree Virtual Reality (VR) photos, with Virtual Reality can make someone feel as if they are in the real world through this technology. Making a virtual reality tour with the panoramic image method for the ‘Aisyiyah University of Surakarta Campus 2 serves as a form of campus information media that is displayed in the form of a 360-degree panoramic image. The research method used in this study is the Multimedia Development Life Cycle (MDLC) methodology which is the most appropriate method by emphasizing the 6 stages of development, namely concept, design, data collection, installation, testing, and distribution. The need for making this virtual reality tour uses hardware in the form of cellphones, lenses, panoramic gimbals and laptops as well as software such as photoshop, panoweaver, 3sixty, xampp and sublime text.

The Effects of Attributes of Non-Immersive Virtual Reality on Customers’ Experience of Video Tours under Social Distancing for COVID-19

This study explores the role of virtual reality (VR) tours in influencing customers’ experiences and attitudes as well as their behavioral intentions toward VR tours. A research model that combines the technology acceptance model, flow theory, and social distancing is proposed to demonstrate the interrelationships among attributes of VR tours, online customer experience, customer attitude, and behavioral intention. Social distancing plays a situational role in the model. We collected 545 usable online questionnaires and used SPSS and SmartPLS to analyze the measurement model and proposed hypotheses. Attributes of the VR tour had a positive influence on the extrinsic values and intrinsic values of the customer experience. Furthermore, online customer experience was positively related to customer attitude and intention toward VR tours. In addition, social distancing influenced customer attitudes but not behavioral intention. Moreover, the results of a multigroup analysis based on country of residence suggested relevant differences between the America and Asia groups. This research extends understanding of the online customer experience of VR tours and provides empirical evidence that VR attributes enhance the extrinsic and intrinsic values of online customer experiences. It provides an integrated view of the technology acceptance model, flow theory, and social distancing and suggests that social distancing has an impact on customers’ attitude toward VR tours but no effects on their intention. The implications of these findings can help scholars and practitioners better understand consumers’ motivations and behavioral intentions to use VR tours, which will help the tourism industry boost revenue and create additional sales channels.

The proper timing of virtual reality experience for reducing preoperative anxiety of pediatric patients: A randomized clinical trial.

BackgroundThe virtual reality (VR) experience of an operation room (OR) prior to anesthesia and surgery has been known to reduce the anxiety and distress of pediatric patients. However, the proper timing needed for this is unknown. This randomized clinical study aimed to evaluate the proper timing of a VR tour of an OR (a few days before vs. immediately before anesthesia) to reduce the anxiety in a pediatric patient undergoing elective surgery.MethodsThe children from the ages of 4–10 years old were randomly divided into three groups. The control group received standard verbal information about the process of anesthesia and surgery 10 min before anesthesia. The VR A group experienced a VR tour at the outpatient clinic a few days before anesthesia, whereas the VR B group experienced the tour 10 min before anesthesia at the reception area of the OR. The 4-min VR video used in this study showed the experience of Pororo, an animation character, entering the OR and undergoing anesthesia. We evaluated the anxiety of children using the modified Yale preoperative anxiety scale (m-YPAS), the anxiety of caregivers using Beck anxiety inventory (BAI), and caregivers’ satisfaction.ResultsThe m-YPAS of the VR B group was significantly lower than that of the control and VR A groups (p = 0.001), whereas there was no statistically significant difference in BAI (p = 0.605) among the 3 groups. The score of caregivers’ satisfaction with the overall process of anesthesia and surgery was higher in VR A group than in the control and VR B groups (p = 0.054).ConclusionThe VR experience of an OR immediately before anesthesia was more effective than standard verbal information or a VR tour at the outpatient clinic a few days before anesthesia in reducing the anxiety and distress of children prior to surgery.Clinical trial registration[https://cris.nih.go.kr/cris/search/detailSearch.do/20773], identifier [KCT0006845].

345.1: Master Education: A New Era of Teaching Beyond COVID-19

Introduction: University of Barcelona together with Donation and Transplantation Institute offer since 2004 a Master degree in Donation and Transplantation. Since 2011, the program had a blended modular structure including: Donation, Transplantation, Management, Tissue Banking & Advanced Therapies, and Internship (IS). In 2020, due to COVID-19 restrictions, the program was pushed to be adapted to be fully online using innovative resources. The aim is to analyse the impact of the new tools and online teaching modality on the grades and the student’s satisfaction. Method: The syllabus has remained stable since 2020 although the educational modality has been renewed. Until 2019, face to face training included classical theoretical sessions, simulations, clinical cases debate and group exercises. IS were face to face in associated centres located in European and American countries. Since 2020, theoretical sessions have been digitized and introduced into the virtual classroom and practical simulations have been replaced by live sessions (broadcast sets, video analysis, case debates and group exercises). New online tools, as immersive training, have been employed to substitute IS. For IS, a virtual reality tour to a simulated tertiary Spanish hospital including the different units related to donation and transplantation allows interaction with the staff and evaluation of participants through the resolution of cases that arise during the visit.Data are organized in 2 periods for each module including IS, 2011-2019 and 2020-2021, and the grades obtained in each module and the students´ satisfaction are evaluated. Results: In 2011-2019, the average grades were: Donation 7.7/10, Transplantation 8.2/10, Management 8.1/10, Tissue Banking & Advanced Therapies 7.6/10 and IS 9/10. And in 2020-2021 the score was 8.6/10, 7.8/10, 8.44/10, 7.9/10, 9.1/10 respectively. In 2011-2019 the Donation module has been evaluated with an average of 9.4/10, Transplantation 8.9/10, Management 8.9/10, Tissue Banking 8.9/10, IS 9.5/10 considering theoretical, practical sessions and course organization. In 2020-21 the evaluation was 9.8/10, 9.6/10, 9.2/10, 10/10, 9.2/10 taking into consideration the theoretical part, live sessions, and course organization. Comparative results indicate slight difference in the values, demonstrating stability despite the difficulties caused by the pandemic. Conclusions: In the face of changes and restrictions caused by the pandemic the inclusion of new technologies has been essential to keep offering high quality international educational programs. Further exploring of technologies may also improve efficiency.

237.5: International Tissue Banking & Advanced Therapies Training Program: 19 Years of Experience

Introduction: Since 2003 a Tissue Banking & Advanced Therapies (TB&AT) training program is offered in the framework of the master’s degree in Donation and Transplantation (University of Barcelona). Since 2011, the program had a blended modular (face to face + on-line) structure: donation, transplantation, management, TB&AT, and Internship (IS). In 2020, due to COVID-19, it was adapted to be online. Methods: The aim of the study is to describe the experience of the TB&AT program during the 2003-2022 period and analyze the impact of the pandemics on grades and student’s satisfaction. Until 2020, face to face training included an IS, theoretical sessions, simulations, cases debate and group exercises. Since 2021, theoretical sessions have been included in the virtual classroom and practical simulations have been replaced by live sessions. Immersive training (IT) has been employed to substitute IS. For IS, a virtual reality tour to a simulated tertiary Spanish hospital including a donor tissue center. The TB&AT training is based on the Guide to the Quality and Safety of Tissues and Cells for Human Application of the Council of Europe. Data has been organized in 3 periods, 2003-2010 (1st period), 2011-2020 (2nd period) and 2021-2022 (pandemic period). Participant profiles, grades obtained and the students´ satisfaction has been evaluated. Results: Since 2003, 1038 participants from 69 countries have attended TB&AT training (411 face to face and 627 on-line). Students grades evolution are: 8,1/10 (1st period, 7,72/10 (2th period) and 8,24/10 (pandemic period). Participants ‘evaluation in pandemic period has been 9/10. Conclusion: Comparative results indicate slight difference in the values, demonstrating stability despite the difficulties by the pandemic The TB&AT training program improves knowledge, technical skills and competence development of the healthcare professionals involved in tissue banking activities. The inclusion of new technologies has been essential to keep offering high quality international educational programs. Further exploring of technologies may also improve efficiency.

Establishing a Tight Link between Students and Society Environment for Education 4.0 – An Online Interaction Case Study

This paper presents research results on online interaction for higher education toward 4.0 education. In addition to online interaction in universities through learning management systems, this study builds a model of online interaction between universities and enterprises and presents methods for implementing different types of online special terms outside the academic environment such as virtual reality tours, virtual internships, and virtual career counseling. The analysis has shown that creating a virtual interactive environment outside the university has brought lots of benefits such as saving cost and time, personalizing learners, changing awareness about digital technology, diversifying learners’ approach.

The Impact of Virtual Marketing Strategies on the Price-TOM Relation

Virtual tours such as pre-recorded videos or self-guided virtual reality (VR) tours represent marketing strategies that agents can use to promote homes for sale. Assuming agents aim at maximizing their net commissions, we expect virtual tours, which require more agent effort and are more costly, to be used for homes that are difficult to show due to being owner- or tenant-occupied. Using 34,359 single-family transactions from multiple US markets, we show that virtual tours impact the sales prices of occupied homes (1) directly (main effect) and (2) indirectly through an interaction with time on market (TOM). However, this impact differs in directionality and size across price segments and occupier type. The use of virtual tours has no effect on the sales prices of vacant homes. Our results suggest that virtual tours are effective strategies to overcome the difficulty of showing homes and moderate the price-TOM relation.

“in Rted – Interactive Navigation by Virtual Reality Tour of Electronics Department”

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to design a navigation tool that helps users in exploring a place without actually having to move about. The 3D model of the virtual campus offers a characteristic and genuine visual representation of the campus. Also, keeps great interaction with clients so that gathering of people to see through and encounter the feeling of really being right there inside the campus. We all have the experience of getting lost and missing our way in an unfamiliar region or unknown place. Similarly, the freshers or the visitors who are visiting the university for the first time might encounter the identical issue once they enter the Campus. To make it convenient for them, we offer an easy platform for navigating locations inside the college Campus. According to the final idea of the project, the design should provide a typical location selection input with the corresponding output. Users can properly choose the doorway from our campus or a selected location on a distinct floor, and also the best-suited way is shown on display step by step. The purpose of designing this aspect is to let users remember the destination whether or not they are required to travel in-home or on the way before coming to our campus. Campus visits are among the openings for colleges and colleges to point out their resources, amenities, and accomplishments to guests and students. Several universities are utilizing similar technology as a mobile campus touring application like customized maps to create for the visitors at home self-guided campus go through devices. Our project will provide a Virtual 3-Dimensional experience in the navigation of the College Campus

A Technical and Operational Perspective on Quality Analysis of Stitching Images with Multi-Row Panorama and Multimedia Sources for Visualizing the Tourism Site of Onshore Wind Farm

A virtual tour of the onshore wind farm near Gaomei Wetland, Taichung City, Taiwan, was produced by producing panoramic images of the site by stitching images captured with a full-frame digital single-lens reflex camera and a multi-row panorama instrument, which automatically and precisely divided each scene into several images. Subsequently, the image stitching quality was improved by calculating the root mean square error (RMSE) of tie point matching and adjusting the tie points. Errors due to eccentricity attributed to the camera’s relative position to the rotational axis of the multi-row panorama instrument were examined and solved; the effect of the overlap rate on image stitching quality was also investigated. According to the study results, the overlap rate between the original images was inversely proportional to the RMSE and directly proportional to the time required for photography and image processing. The stitching quality was improved by resolving eccentricity and by increasing the number of tie points. The RMSEs of the panoramas of all stations were all less than 5 pixels. Subsequently, multimedia materials providing information on wind turbine attributes were combined with the panorama platform to establish a virtual reality tour platform. The content of the platform could be accessed with a smartphone and viewed with a virtual reality device and could promote both tourist attractions and wind energy.

Student Perceptions of the Introduction of Pig Production, Management, and Health Teaching into the Veterinary Curriculum of a Muslim-Majority Country: A Case Study in Jordan.

Previously, pig production was not covered in the Jordan University of Science and Technology's (JUST) veterinary curriculum due to Jordan being a predominantly Muslim country, with few graduates practicing outside the Middle East. However, pig production, management, and health (PPMH) education is increasingly recognized as needed to meet the requirements to obtain European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE) accreditation. This study assessed the introduction of pig-related teaching into JUST's veterinary curriculum and student perceptions of this content. A teaching intervention consisted of lectures, group sessions, and a virtual reality (VR) tour of a pig production (PP) unit. To ascertain participants' level of understanding of PPMH, perceptions of different teaching styles, and changes in perception and understanding of the topics, they answered a survey before and after the intervention. Students' knowledge of PP, husbandry, and perceived importance of PP awareness increased significantly, with 90% (n = 17) agreeing that the intervention improved comprehension of the areas mentioned. Participants' interest in PPMH learning increased, with 75% (n = 14) stating they would want to learn more about the topic. VR was significantly ranked the most useful in terms of learning (p = .029), and all participants stated the VR tour had a positive impact on their learning experience. Based on the findings, the focus of pig-related teaching in settings with limited awareness because of sociocultural reasons should be directed toward student-led exercises, group work, and use of technology such as VR. As a result of this intervention, blended PP has now been introduced to the JUST Veterinary curriculum.

The effect of virtual reality on the marketing of residential property

Property technology has ushered in new possibilities for the real estate industry, including the use of virtual reality (VR) technologies by real estate agents when marketing properties. Previous studies have identified factors in determining purchase intents within a virtual setting, but little is known about how such technologies affect homebuyers’ purchase decisions. In this study, a family-home purchase decision-making model is used to conceptualise how VR can affect buyers’ involvement in the property purchasing process. Using transaction data from Wuhan City, China, the study found that a 1% increase in the number of followers visiting an online property portal resulted in a 21% increase in physical home visits. The study also indicates that VR tours shorten the marketing time of property by 6.4% and narrow the bid-ask spread by 2%, ceteris paribus. These findings suggest that emerging property technologies such as VR can enhance the purchase decision-making process and reshape the role of the real estate agent.

Immersive XR Anatomy Teaching Tools: Review of four custom‐built virtual spaces, their deployments and educational value

Use of digital anatomical teaching resources mitigate trends of decreased anatomy contact hours, elimination of cadaveric specimens or student‐led dissections of them, remote or hybrid learning in response to COVID‐19, and to integrate anatomy content with radiology, surgery and other clinical applications. While there are a plethora of atlases built with cadaveric images, radiology, and artist‐rendered 3D models, we often find a disconnect between the complex geometry of many anatomical structures and the 2D screen interfaces used by students to access these digital resources. The open‐source Mozilla Hubs platform allows for the creation of customizable 3D virtual spaces, accessible via URL on a mobile, desktop, or virtual reality (VR) device. This platform was used to create four educational experiences deployed to first and second year medical students during pre‐clerkship courses: a desktop‐based tour of the surface and chambers of the heart; a VR tour of the chambers of the heart; a desktop‐based foregut escape room integrated with questions and multimedia clinical supplements; and a VR tour of the structure and neurovasculature of the pterygopalatine fossa. In each experience, the students are immersed within these anatomical spaces, encouraged to explore and appreciate the spatial relationships and orientations of key internal structures. When applicable, radiological imaging, videos, and animations display physiologic processes, the flow of blood and other fluids, and the functionality of a given structure in vivo. Audio and text instructions, labels, and additional information guide student learning, encouraging directed exploration while immersed in the experience. This presentation will discuss the four experiences, display real‐time video capture of the interactions and spaces, their deployment, educational value, and student reception. Students’ feedback suggests that the context and timing of the deployment of these experiences is crucial for student learning and appreciation, including the role of faculty assistance and training on how to navigate the interface prior to the educational intervention. Qualitative feedback and performance on pre‐ and post‐ experience quizzes show that these experiences are both statistically and perceptually valuable educational resources, and that the novel nature of this experience is engaging and exciting to students when deployed appropriately. This presentation will conclude with suggestions for best practices in choosing, developing, and deploying custom immersive educational interventions to anatomy learners.

Experiencing a Food Production Site Using Wearable Devices: The Indirect Impact of Immersion and Presence in VR Tours

Virtual reality (VR) is among the main technologies revolutionizing numerous sectors, including tourism. In the latter context, virtual tours (VTs) are finding increasing application. Providing an immersive and realistic human–machine interaction, VR tours can bring visitors to virtually experience destination areas. The proposed research presents a theoretical and empirical investigation of the role played by some technical VR features (i.e., presence, immersion, ease-of-use) on VR visitors’ enjoyment, satisfaction, and, accordingly, on the physical visit intention of the production site and neighboring areas. After having experienced a 360-degree VR tour of a food production site, created specifically for this study, 140 visitors were surveyed online. Results—emerging from a PLS structural equation model—show that immersion and presence both directly impact the enjoyment and indirectly the user’s VR tour satisfaction and visit intention. Further, if the VR tour is perceived as easy to use, it influences visitors’ satisfaction and physical visit intention. This study contributes to the novel VR literature, applied in the tourism sector, evidencing how immersive and enjoyable scenarios, experienced via widespread devices such as smartphones, may impact tourists’ choices. In food tourism, VR technologies can be fundamental in attracting new visitors to the production sites and neighboring areas.

Labs and Landscapes Virtual Reality: Student-Created Forest Conservation Tours for Informal Public Engagement

The following exploratory convergent mixed-methods study examined graduate students’ experiences developing and facilitating 360º photo-based virtual reality (VR) tours titled Labs and Landscapes focused on forest conservation and climate change education, as well as tour impacts on public audiences. Graduate students in an agricultural and natural resources communication course at The University of Florida used 360º cameras, mobile devices, and online software to create VR tours about the UF/IFAS Austin Cary Research Forest. Then, the students guided public participants through the tours in three physical informal learning environments including a museum, brewery, and campus tabling site within the university community. Data collection included VR tour artifacts, audio recordings of students’ VR facilitation and discourse with the public, post-surveys of public participants’ tour impressions and climate change attitudes, and pre-/post-student reflections. Data sources were collected separately and mixed in interpretation. Results showed students increased their multimedia communication skills, knowledge of natural resource conservation, and confidence in communicating with public audiences. Additionally, survey results indicated public participants agreed the students successfully guided the tours, agreed it is important to learn about conservation and climate change, and had some disagreement with the statement that humans cannot prevent climate change.

Dissemination, assessment and management of historic buildings by thematic virtual tours and 3D models

The digitalization of the historical-architectural heritage for virtual reality (VR) applications is crucial within the contemporary scientific and technical debate for several aspects. In fact, beyond the exploration for education and entertainment purposes, the employment of three-dimensional (3D) reality-based and computer-based models and environments seems to be very promising for performance assessment and risk management as well. Particularly, in order to develop and validate smart, low-cost and user-friendly tools, which might apply even in cases of limited time and budget, the present paper is going to propose a methodological workflow based on thematic virtual tours of 360° scenes, which integrate a variety of informative contents and digital products as external hotspots/switches. The VR tours, where 3D models might play a key role for an accurate representation of relevant parts and/or analytical elaboration of further data, are conceived as flexible and scalable solutions, supporting users, technicians and authorities through remote access, diagnosis of the state of conservation and communication of safety measures. The application of the proposed methods and techniques to a representative case study, the Norman-Swabian Castle of Gioia del Colle (Ba), South Italy, is presented in order to illustrate the achievable results and highlight the benefit of innovative “digital” solutions for data collection, storage and communication, compared to the traditional “analogical” practices. In detail, a Web-GIS platform, developed within a previous research project, is integrated with direct links to three thematic virtual tours that provide added contents for inclusive dissemination (timeline schemes, aerial views, 3D sculptural and architectural details), performance assessment (diagnostic reports, decay maps, 3D reconstructions of technical components) and risk management (exit signs, help instructions, warnings). Thus, the VR tours, while documenting realistically the state of the site, might act as host environments of digital products, at increasing complexity, all displayed according to an intuitive and accessible communication approach.Highlights:• Virtual tours of 360° scenes, linking thematic digital contents, are proposed as intuitive and versatile tools for smart documentation, conservation and protection of historical buildings.• The role of 3D reality-based and computer-based models is discussed toward their integration and correlation within thematic virtual tours of 360° scenes.• The potential of immersive environments for sharing knowledge about conservation issues and training users on safety measures in historic buildings is underlined.