Developing a Virtual Reality Experience with Game Elements for Tourism: Kayak Simulator

Several advances have been made in Virtual Reality (VR) technologies allowing users to enjoy different applications and experiences through this immersive technology. In this work, we use the design and creation methodology to develop a VR Kayak simulator with the aim to represent a local tourist attraction in a virtual world. This experience is enhanced with information related to activities to highlight the local area, inviting the user to visit as a tourist. To test the VR experience, we performed usability tests with 70 random volunteers in order to evaluate the usability and user experience. The results indicate that the VR experience is effective and efficient as well as contributes to give more information relating to tourism activities for the local tourist.