The Development of Virtual Tourism in the Island of Crete, Greece: A PESTEL Analysis

The island of Crete, Greece is a well-known global tourism destination hosting few millions of tourists every year. Although mass tourism dominates in the local tourism product several types of thematic tourism have been also developed in the island. Virtual tourism allows the exploration of Crete without the physical presence of the visitor. The current technological advances of virtual reality and augmented reality allow the exploration of several historical, and cultural monuments as well as other beauties in Crete without the physical presence of visitors in the island. Virtual tourism is particularly useful to those who are disabled or do not have the financial resources to travel to Crete while it can be used as a marketing tool in several cases. Additionally, virtual tourism can mitigate the impacts of overtourism and climate crisis on the local tourism industry. PESTEL methodology is a strategic tool that is useful in the analysis of the impacts of the external environment on an organization. The development of virtual tourism in Crete has been analyzed with the PESTEL framework examining the impacts of political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal factors on it. Our results could be useful to policy makers and to stakeholders of the local tourism industry who should develop appropriate policies for the promotion of virtual tourism in Crete.