Virtual reality as ethical innovation in tourism: addressing trade-offs in animal conservation

Consumer ethical concerns over animal captivity and animal welfare grows; virtual reality (VR) for animal conservation is proposed as a useful means to support animal conservation. Considering animals as stakeholders, using ethic-of-care and conservation ethics frameworks, alongside construal level theory, this research aims to explore how VR can serve as a tool to support animal conservation. We investigate (1) how visual proximity to animals in VR influences intentions of charitable giving to conservation; (2) why proximity in VR affects donation intentions and (3) whether fear/perceived threat moderates this effect. Across three studies, a field experiment and two lab experiments, using a custom-designed shark conservation VR experience, we find that placing animals closer (vs. farther) to viewers in VR increases donation intentions. Fearsomeness of VR visuals further amplifies this proximity effect. None of the hypothesized underlying mechanisms explained this effect, suggesting that VR may trigger novel psychological processes distinct from those in other media. The research contributes to sustainable tourism literature by positioning VR as an innovative “empty-cage” that reduces ethical tensions between animal welfare and conservation goals in tourism context.