Research Methods: Impact of Virtual Tourism on Tourist Footfall in UK

This report, prepared for a research methods course, investigates the influence of virtual tourism on tourist footfall in the UK. It encompasses a variety of qualitative research methods, including an interview checklist focusing on the experiences and benefits of virtual tourism, participant observation, and analysis of visitor records at the London Eye. A research diary extract details the observation process and initial findings. The report also includes a visual methodologies practical, analyzing an advertisement for Moxy Hotels to understand how visual elements impact consumer behavior. Furthermore, a coded interview transcript provides insights into VW campervan ownership, exploring motivations and experiences. The major project proposal outlines the research aims, methodology, and analysis plan for a comprehensive study on the topic. The report aims to provide a detailed analysis of the impact of virtual tourism on the tourism industry.

Research Methods for
the Service Sector

Contents
Assessment 1: Portfolio: Qualitative - Influence of virtual-tourism on footfall of tourists in UK.................3
An Interview Checklist.................................................................................................................................3
Participant Observation...............................................................................................................................3
Observation checklist..............................................................................................................................3
Research diary extract.............................................................................................................................4
Commentary............................................................................................................................................4
A Visual Methodologies Practical................................................................................................................5
Background.............................................................................................................................................5
The image................................................................................................................................................5
Analysis/Interpretation............................................................................................................................6
A Coded Interview Transcript......................................................................................................................6
Transcript key..........................................................................................................................................6
Coded Interview Transcript.....................................................................................................................7
Major Project Proposal..............................................................................................................................19
Title of the proposal...............................................................................................................................19
Introduction and Rationale....................................................................................................................19
Research Aims and Objectives..............................................................................................................20
Research Methodology..........................................................................................................................21
Research Analysis.................................................................................................................................22
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................................23

Assessment 1: Portfolio: Qualitative - Influence of virtual-tourism on footfall
of tourists in UK
An Interview Checklist
Theme
(Main
Question)
(Specific Topics and
Issues)
Follow up questions
Experience  Less than 1 year
 1 year to 3 years
 3 years to 5 years
 More than 5 years
 From how many years you have
information about the virtual tourism?
Job role  Generates job
 Workshops for tour
operators
 Do you think virtual tourism generates
job within the tourism sector?
 Does implementation of virtual tourism
develops requirement of workshop or
training session for tour operators?
Benefits of
virtual
tourism for
tourism
sector
 Attracts more
number of customer
towards them
 Increases footfall for
destination
 Boosts economy of
nation
 Do you think virtual tourism provides
benefits to the national economy?
 Does virtual tourism enhances overall
footfall for the tourism destinations?
Participant Observation
Observation checklist
 To conduct observation of different tourism companies which offers facility of virtual
tourism?
 Check visitors record of London eye after introduction of virtual tourism
 To determine companies policies and rules for virtual tourism.

 To evaluate rules and regulation that is followed by tour operators while offering
virtual tourism experience to the customers.
Research diary extract
In this observation method, around 10 people would be taken into under observation
without informing them about the research. It will held for around 5 hours at the visitors zone of
London Eye as the researcher can easily have access to the desired respondents.
During the observation it has been analysed that the from the total of 10 around five people
have visited the London Eye for very first time as they have only read about in the news and
other social media options. On the other hand, around 6 people have been observed with having
the discussion about the same place in detailed manner as they were highly excited towards the
same place. These people came to visit London Eye as they have found its virtual tourism most
interesting and attractive. Whereas, the leftover two were having clear discussion on the same
place as they have heard about it from their family and friends.
Commentary
The overall observation was done on the secretive method as information about the
research has not been communicated to the participants. I have personally analysed the overall
information in the detailed manner and got to realize that maximum number of people are having
detailed knowledge about the virtual tourism and it also influences them to visit the chosen
destination London Eye.

A Visual Methodologies Practical
Background
The given picture is acknowledged to be a part of Moxy Hotel’s advertising campaign. The
main aim of making this image is advertisement of the environment and ambience at the
respective hotel. This allows people to enjoy their time at the hotel and have fun with their
friends or acquaintances. The image given above is made for targeting the younger generation of
society who intends to experience surprises and desire fun and parties all the time. The youth is
thus regarded to be prime audience of the advertisement campaign of Moxy Hotels. The given
image thus demonstrates the atmosphere which is desirable by the visitors. This increases the
footfall for the respective hospitality organisation in the long run.
The image
The given image can be divided into several tiny bits that tend to illustrate fun, partying
atmosphere, entertainment witnessed and experienced by people while they are in the premises
of Moxy Hotels. One of the tiny bits illustrate the in room concert facility which is given by the
respective hotel in order to grab the attention of large number of individuals towards the
ambience and experience that the hotel management tries to create for the visitors. Besides this,

there are many other tiny bits which illustrate indoor as well as outdoor party organized by the
hotel management, food, etc. The colour pallet that is used for the advertising campaign is bold.
This can be said on the basis of the premise that two contrast colours have been put to use in the
image, which are identified to be Black and Pink. In addition to this, the picture also
demonstrates the persons who have previously been the guests of Moxy Hotel along with the
activities they got indulged in, during their stay at the respective hotel premise. The overall
image show above carries the potential of grabbing the attention of large base of individuals so
as to augment the financial performance of the firm in the long run. The image contains some
signs which illustrate time and venue for livestream. The slogan for the image is “MOXY: it’s no
place like home” which is mainly targeting the youth and stating that the hotel is an escape from
their respective homes.
Analysis/Interpretation
The overall interpretation of the campaign suggests that Moxy Hotel is a boutique hotel
where people do not have to behave like sophisticated beings, and thus can be the way they are.
So, they can have fun with their friends or colleagues without caring about anybody. The image
tries to represent that the respective hotel allows youngsters to escape their boring and routine
lives, thus flee away to a place whereby they can be their original selves without caring about the
society, families or anyone else. The overall picturisation of the hotel has been shown beautifully
with the help of tiny bits of sneek peeks from the different sections of the hotel ranging from
rooms, livestreams, etc. Moxy tries to reach out to people by stating that it is nothing like their
homes. It is thus presented in front of the target audience as a place whereby they can enjoy
themselves and make memories to cherish for a lifetime to come. This leaves a strong impact on
the younger generation of the society and gains their attention as almost all of them want to
escape their homes and go to a place whereby they can party and live as per their terms.
A Coded Interview Transcript
Transcript key
A: VW campervan
A1 – effectiveness of VW campervan
A2 – limitations of VW campervan

B: Amanda
B1 - Judgment of Amanda for VW campervan as well as camping
C: Experiences in VW campervan
C1 – Good experiences
C2 – Experiences which are not good
Coded Interview Transcript
***********Original Transcript*******************
NOTES: Michael Archer- 45minute Interview discussing VW Campervan ownership.
Researcher (Bold) Respondent (Regular)
What attracted you to the idea of owning a VW campervan?
Michael: Well for me it was more like a holiday home, a portable camp and chill with the
family. The VW aspect was more to talk Amanda into it. My partner just for the record.
(Laughs) Basically she thought it was cool and they are cool and all of those things, but it
was more a vehicle to go on holiday in so like looking at caravans well didn’t appeal, and I
could see it as a second vehicle.
So what you’re saying is you wouldn’t have liked a different type of vehicle?
No it would have to be something that could be used as a car as well.
So not the big American retirement van?
No well the VW’s my mate had one and it’s a car and a van and its cool and exciting isn’t it. It’s
that whole thing, there’s a buzz about it. People talk about it, so that would be the initial

reason.
Does the idea come from research, or just off the top of your head to get it?
Well we went on a caravan holiday and we sat in this caravan and we thought this is cool; we
will just have barbeques and just drink beer. Just chill out George (Their son) was only 7
weeks old and everything was dead easy going and slow the pace reminded us of when we
went travelling to Asia and this was the life, but on the doorstep. Somewhere we could go
on a weekend, every weekend just to get away from the city. Then Amanda wanted
something mobile and then the VW was a compromise.
Did you give it a name?
It didn’t have a name when we got it. Our initial idea in the July 2009 and we didn’t get it for 10
months of waiting, painstaking waiting and it didn’t have a name we thought Ulysses or,
the registration was UCU34l. It was a TV program, Ulysses (Pronounced dramatically).
Most of them are girls names so we decided in the end to call it Jenny because that’s what
Forrest Gump (the movie) calls his boat.
Does that represent travelling or something?
Just liked the name.
Did giving it a name help with attachment to it?
Well they are mostly girls and it’s like naming a ship. I thought there was a slight cultural
difference of the people who got them; the Dubbers who had names were different from
those who hadn’t.
In what way?

I don’t know.
You’re allowed to say what you think?
It seems that if you really knew VW then you didn’t name it. So at first we didn’t name it, we
haven’t had anything and called it a name. Even George’s teddies, his rabbit are rabbit.
Not a sentimental old fool then? (researcher laughs)
So where you brought up with camping?
Yes well we had definitely camped, with cubs and stuff like that and school camp at the lakes
which was cool. Err then with the lads trying to get in campsites when we were 16, sleeping
in fields. Walking through fields of bulls and swampland and stuff and waking up in the
morning with this guy on his quad going get off my field and we were like oh no. We went
camping then, we went walking then. We had a break then returned to it with mates and
realised that you could just sit and eat and drink as much as you wanted and it was great,
you could just get as drunk as you wanted and that was fine. We didn’t really go camping
me and Amanda but then when we had a kid; it really seemed to make sense and still does.
That is the lifestyle that I want my family to have.
Do you think that’s more a boy thing or just general?
What with camping, I guess stereotypically yes. Like its roughing it and Amanda doesn’t want
to rough it, whereas maybe when she was younger she would of, but she’s 30. I liked
mucking in, getting wet, getting dirty whereas Amanda didn’t like that about the camping.
There will be girls that don’t enjoy it and girls who do, but as a general rule boys like
getting in a mess and most girls don’t. The idea of getting wet and sitting in a leaky tent
brings out survival instincts in me. My cousin and his wife goes camping, well glam ping
actually they put a carpet in their tent. I suppose you’re forced to make you own
entertainment in a way. You’re forced as a couple to be together, well not forced but you’re

on a campsite and it’s a relaxed ‘holiday’ atmosphere.
So do you think it’s a relaxing experience?
Relaxing?
Well it’s an idea that you go camping to relax and people do.
Yes but it’s full of tasks to get to the relaxing bit. Like relaxing is over there but you have to do
a lot to get to it. Like the whole alphabet. To get to the z. Then when you sit down it’s like
right what do I do now. So everything’s done, all you need to do is just do the dishes. But
there’s actually nothing to do. Not like at home.
Is it trying to get away from that?
Yes for me it is actually. That’s still why I would like a static caravan as well. Somewhere to
go, to chill out and get drunk (laughs)
In terms of feelings about the van, can you describe that?
Over the massive and ridiculous 10 months it took to procure the van and we even got a loan to
get it. Then when it did arrive we were like this is a mistake because we had been so long
waiting and we had to find extra money too. At first I was a bit negative about it, although
Manda was excited and I was oh I don’t know what this is going to be like. That was my
feeling all the way up to getting it, but then when I got it I did fall in love with it. Very
much fell in love with it. It only took sitting in it, driving in it and having a glass of wine in
it to think this is brilliant. This is cool you know it belonged to us and I had never owned
anything quite like it, that was worth that much. I don’t own a house I just have a mortgage.
Yeah it was mine and I fell in love with it. We would obsess about buying things for it. It
was like a person. Strange that. But it had its own character which is probably why people
name them. If a name had come to us we probably would have named it but it was like

what does it need? George our son had a lot of needs and so did it. Things you could get for
it like accessories. We bought everything, the curtains, the pans and the electrics. I thought
about it, went and looked at it on the street when I woke up in the morning. Go and just sit
in it, it’s yours you can be possessive over it.
Is ownership part of it or could you have just hired one?
No, when it’s yours you look in other peoples vans and go how practical is it, where would you
sleep all of these questions. As soon as you had your own it was like this is brilliant, I don’t
care where I am going to sleep. It was more look at this I am in my van. There’s an
excitement and something I really enjoyed.
Did this feeling stay with you for the duration of having the van?
Yeah definitely, just very attached to it.
Do you think it’s an aesthetic thing? I mean I know there’s more to it than that but....
Yes it’s the age of it, that its original, it’s got a history and it looks nice but it’s quite simple. It’s
got eyes on the front, a face. Whoever designed it thought I want to live in this I will put a
sink there, I will put the beds there etc, it’s clever and a lot of thought has gone into it. It’s
like you feel like you have got something special and whether it’s done through the
perception of it. People say they fall in love with them and that’s what happens. I suppose if
I had a Ferrari I would fall in love with that but not necessarily in the same way.
Are you in love with your car?
No. I don’t really like it. When I first got it I thought oh its okay, I have a new car. Now I
dislike it. I wouldn’t be bothered if it was nicked, albeit for financial reasons. The van
(whoa) I left it somewhere and thought I hadn’t locked the door and just panicked about it
and couldn’t think about anything else until I got back to the van and the door was locked.

Then I love my bike at the minute so maybe I am a bit like that. The campervan did stay
with me.
When you say history, do you mean cultural history or its own history?
It hadn’t any improvements really so, so it’s original so you imagine what people were like who
used to live in it and there is that whole community. You don’t go anywhere without
someone speaking about it. That makes the cycle of you enjoying it, being part of
something the reason you think it is special is because you drive along the road and kids
smile at it and people look at it and wave at you. You drive past everyone in their normal
cars and it doesn’t matter that its costing a fortune to drive or goes really slow (Laughs0
or really noisy or stinks of oil, when your sat at the lights and someone else in their car
that’s probably cost 20 grand and you just go HA!
Do you attribute the features of the van to yourself, your personality?
I think the van is the van itself and it’s just that you, like I was the driver of that van. You do
personalise them over time. But we didn’t have ours long enough. Eight ball gear stick or
whatever. Got a little fire extinguisher. We didn’t want to put flowers on it or change the
look as it was a recent resprays so it looked lush. I felt like a bus driver. It is strange but
you do feel on show when you drive them
Does it create an atmosphere for your life?
For the time you spend in them. I think that’s the appeal of them that when you in them you
relax, something changes like it’s not the only thing that that happens with. Especially if
it’s yours. It’s like you look at a fire and you think that’s beautiful it gives you a certain
feeling, or looking out into the ocean gives you a certain feeling. Like the campervan you
just chill out it’s your domain.

When you’re driving do you feel relaxed?
Not always when I am driving. It can be a nightmare. You can’t get it in gear or anything like
that can you? You can’t get stressed or lose you temper with it either or it won’t let you
drive it. When you stop its relaxing. It depends where you are driving of course. I tried to
use mine for work. It was to see if I could do it, use it for work but it was ridiculous in the
winter in the campervan. So it was just a joke. I had a fleece blanket, jacket, hat and gloves.
Start the engine; clean all the snow off and the ice. Condensation breath, then when I get
there, South Shields is a 40 minute drive and it’s still freezing.
So it didn’t affect how you thought of the van?
No it was just my little relationship with the van. It was good having it working in a school.
Some of the kids were is that a hippy van sir? Others were like why do you drive that and
couldn’t understand it. Some who knew about them really liked it. People like them that is
the thing.
I hear people say you either love them or hate them and it’s just trying to put my finger on
what that means. Any thoughts?
It’s basically the way that they look and it’s what they offer. Freedom, comfort and style and
there’s an impression that other people want them as well.
So if other people want it then you want it, then you have it so you have what other people don’t
have so you have something special. In theory you could have that with a bongo or
whatever but with the VW it is the je ne suis qu’une. It’s the same reason why people like
for example old houses. Certainly now it has gone into popular culture.
Yes now you can buy a campervan key ring even if you haven’t got a van.

Like with a lot of popular programs like Lost, they are just in things that are cool. So that image
is just instilled.
I am interested in how people overcome the problems to get to the freedom that it is
allegedly going to offer.
Do you mean the fact of the way they are made and they breakdown a lot?
Maybe
Well its irrational isn’t it? If you think about the way that they are made, the gears I mean your
pulling these rods basically the whole distance of the car . Anything’s simple and
everything is fragile and brittle and could break at any point and you have oil spills. The
more stuff you do with them, the more determined you are to do stuff, to solve problems.
Like Macbeth you are in it so far, you have made a stupid decision from a practical point of
view, financially it doesn’t make sense, they are not economical, they cost a lot to repair
but people get obsessed about them and want to fix them themselves. Not me though.
Was it a hard decision to sell it?
It wasn’t that hard because I was working a lot and couldn’t really afford it and not seeing any
benefit. My original goal was to have this lifestyle. The payoff for me was that I would
have a big car but it didn’t work out that way. We thought if we sell it we could buy
something else like a caravan but then we realised we couldn’t get anything else as we
didn’t have the money. That thing is still hanging there that I am going to get a decent car
and a caravan. And that we can tow it and go to Europe and go around the country.
So you haven’t left the idea of that kind of camping and travelling lifestyle?
No it was just with all the rain last year and having a baby. It was stressful being in a small
environment but in a caravan it would be a bit more luxury, warm and dry and one of my

main things is that we go away so she relaxes as well.
Perhaps we can go back to this life that we had on this beach in Thailand which will always be
our little paradise. We can get a taste of that and that George could play with other children
on the campsite and have a really nice time. I was sad to see the van go but because we had
a bank loan and that it’s not all mine it would have been unreasonable and selfish to go with
what I would have wanted which is to have kept it. I would have kept it because it was my
van, that’s how I felt. We went away without George in the bus and it was just great. It was
like why we didn’t get one before we had George because it was great. No problem to set
things up, took our time, did whatever, had nice food, it was our anniversary liked it.
So children are a huge factor in how you experience things?
Yes George was one. He needed a lot of attention; the van needed a lot of attention setting stuff
up that was stressful. Sometimes we got to the campsite, hadn’t eaten, eating 10 at night
spaghetti Bolognese in the dark. I enjoyed all that, it had a little porch and stuff. Not catch
22, but I hadn’t thought about getting a van before I had a child, but maybe would have
enjoyed it more not having one around. I went in my friends van, all I thought was it would
cost loads of petrol money yet he loved it. Then once he said he would use his van to help
me pick up some stuff and then it broke down and ended up in a garage and two hours later
I thought I am never getting a campervan. Then the person we got ours from he was local,
he built it, we trusted the people and it was a reliable van.
So the engine wasn’t shedding oil?
Well it was shedding oil (Laughs) it never conked out, it needed an oil seal.
You joked with me and said you didn’t want to end up in Silverlink (Shopping Village)
every weekend. It sounds to me like for you it had been the antithesis. So in other
words you were achieving a lifestyle not entirely like the traditional nuclear family
set-up?

The dream never came true as we were never away long enough in it because of Amanda’s job,
so we were away for three or four days at a time and by the time you have travelled there
and back then you have one or two days in a place. Sometimes you would go to a campsite
and think that it’s not very good. Then I have gone to all the hassle of setting it up and can’t
be bothered to take it down and go somewhere else and set that up and it might not be
good. It’s very much trial and error with these things and the more experience you have,
the more you know. We did go off in my mum’s caravan during owning the van and the
hassle is less, a lot less.
You mentioned going off to Thailand and how some of van ownership aimed to capture
this idea?
Yes we woke up every day cooked fish on the Barbie; go for runs in the morning. Amanda
would find shells and make stuff; I would be building things in our hut.
So it was trying to recreate that in a modern context?
Yes and it is beautiful in the countryside and very different from the city and you just go there’s
nothing to do so you just stop. Of course the VW rallies. People park up on concrete if they
have to and so sometimes nature isn’t the deal. What did you think? We never did that van
community thing, we never looked for that, for other VW people we just did our own thing.
Any reason why you’re not interested in VW meetings and festivals?
Well like everyone my time is limited and yes I guess its snobbery. You can only go away 5
months in the year. My objective is to stay in the countryside, chill out and relax. I don’t
know enough about the vans so would be out of my depth in places like that. Like at other
peoples van then what. I don’t know these people and don’t need to know new people. I
suppose the festival ones rather than the shows are a bit more about relaxing, but generally
I wasn’t interested in that I just wanted to go camping and have a bit of car credibility. That
shouldn’t be important to me but it is. Sometimes you spend up to an hour and a half in a

car per day so I would quite like a good car. So I thought a VW is a good car, eye catching
what I didn’t realise is that it was not comfortable and rubbish to drive,
Do you think you will get one again in the future?
No
So not when you’re 55 and all parental duties done?
I think we would be prepared to lose the aesthetic qualities for the sake of a transit van with a
house on the back for the sake of comfort. I don’t really mind that a caravan looks crap.
When I was on the campsite with the van it really did stand out but it wouldn’t bother me
now if we didn’t.
I couldn’t understand why I was in that godforsaken land. Nature. I didn’t care about that. That
first experience of camping with the van in a remote campsite on a muddy field was like,
what the hell have we done. It’s just mental - An awful field.
Its ridiculous (laughs) There’s just nothing to do but that’s it (laughs) that’s the appeal. Like it
was that thing I said before, it’s ridiculous you spend thousands of pounds on it, you lie
down shut the door then you have the rain leaking on you. Then you need to use the toilet
(laughs loudly) You have to find your shoes. The advantage at night time though if you are
a bit drunk your alright. When you get up in the morning and your a bit groggy, the focus is
where and how I am going to get washed, whereas when your at home it’s like...what am I
going to do today. In the van all you can think about is I need to get washed and I am
starving. These are the objectives and that takes the first couple of hours just thinking about
the bare minimum I believe really is good for you. Therapeutic, where you don’t have to
worry about it all. Then when your dry or warm and had a bacon sandwich it’s like I have
really done it, I have really achieved something. It reminds me of a line in the film the
Sopranos when Tony says urm, about this Russian girl who is just happy as she has got her
life and she hasn’t always had that, went to America and has a better standard of living. She

said that when you have the basic needs fulfilled then like in Maslow, it’s about self
actualisation. You work out your worries, you analyse and go over things and I think
humans are not necessarily designed to do things. Like perhaps it’s a relatively new
territory like in the past 150 years that this has happened. I think it’s natural to go back to
basics. Like when people go and enjoy holidays there’s nothing to do apart from eat. It’s
like you wonder what you are going to have for lunch then dinner and that’s half the day
gone and you haven’t really done anything but you have had a good day.
Why do you think that is good for people?
You have your own control over it. Or there are problems to solve. You challenge yourself.
Your in a difficult situation, you sort of go from a low to a more stabilized situation where
you have achieved something.
Yes I suppose you put yourself in a state of mini crisis in a way.
Yes you do. You park up and have to set up all this stuff and it’s all over the place. Your brain
is going through working out how to do all these things, then you’re hungry and you eat.
Then you sit and think oh I feel quite pleased with myself
In normal life they are perhaps not seen as achievements?
No they are just tasks you have to keep doing in order to achieve other things like to get money,
work to get paid. It’s a different focus. I suppose it’s out of your comfort zone into a new
place. I think that would be true of a lot of activities, but it’s certainly true of camping.
There must be something innate, primal maybe because rationally you wouldn’t do this.
You can get wet and cold and that’s not enjoyable.
Just to finish off what’s the worst experience you have had in the van?
It was midge flies at the Lake District. People had warned us about it, but we thought it would

be ok. There were swarms of them and I am trying to set up this van with the wrong pegs.
Had to re-park the van, get it totally lined up and George( 1 year old boy) was very well
behaved in the van and I was totally sweating and my face was covered in flies and I
thought that this is ridiculous. Stupid. We stayed that night, there was no escape. Other
people were there with bites all over them saying ‘Oh its fine’. We had mosquito spray and
they were still there, George was getting bitten. Another time it was raining for three days.
There first campsite we were on didn’t have any electric, showers or toilets. Nice spot by
the sea but it was raining heavily. George had his nap in the afternoon and we just collapsed
the whole thing and tried another campsite two miles up the road and set it all up again, in
the rain. I did try to make the best of it. Looking back, none of it was enjoyable at all. The
dream was never the reality, what I loved was the attachment. It really was like a member
of the family. It’s very strange that for a vehicle to have that impact, just by the way it
makes you feel. I am pleased I have done it and I would like to think I would do it again but
would we really?
Transcription 55.04 minutes
Major Project Proposal
Title of the proposal
Influence of virtual-tourism on footfall of tourists in UK
Introduction and Rationale
Tourism sector is acknowledged as one of the fastest growing sector among all. The
respective market leaders of the industry are taking several initiatives for promoting its tourism
destinations in order to influence the interest of its visitors towards them. Eco tourism is
generally acknowledged as one of the most important initiatives adopted by the tourism industry
which emphasizes provides a most influential experience to people as they can enjoy the
attractive place from their own place only. Here, it can be said that increasing users of eco
tourism directly increases number of visitors for tourist destinations as they these people have
virtually visited the place which have developed interest of visiting the place in actuality too.

This directly results in the enhance footfall of the particular destination too. London Eye of UK
is determined as one of the most influential tourism destination across the world. The present is
being conducted for identifying the actual influence of virtual tourism on the footfall of tourists
in UK. In this regard, investigator has developed research aim, objectives and questions so that
the research could be conducted in right direction.
Research Aims and Objectives
Research aim
To determine the influence of virtual-tourism on footfall of tourists in UK. A case study
on London Eye.
Research objectives To understand visiting patterns of London Eye. To identify the advantages of virtual-tourism for UK tourism. To ascertain the role of virtual-tourism in boosting the revenues for UK tourism from
London Eye. To analyze relationship between usage of virtual tourism and motivational factors to visit
London Eye, UK.
Research Questions What are the visiting patterns of London Eye? What are the advantages of virtual-tourism for UK tourism? Explain the role of virtual-tourism in boosting the revenues for UK tourism from London
Eye? What is the relationship between usage of virtual tourism and motivational factors to visit
London Eye, UK?
Research Methodology
Research methodology is acknowledged as one of the important section in every research
which includes of research methods as well as techniques that are acquired by the investigator or
the project head for carrying out appropriate research on the particular topic. The respective

section is consisting of several methods such as data collection methods, sampling, data analysis
methods, data instruments and many others. The main methods that are used in the current study
are specified as below:
Research method – Research methods are mainly of two types generally denoted
qualitative and quantitative. Both of these methods are supportive in analyzing the gathered
information attained from several sources. It can be said that the qualitative method is generally
used for analyzing the descriptive information which is mentioned in the theoretical manner.
However, quantitative methods are generally used for analyzing statistical or numerical data.
Both the methods are used or selected by the investigator according to the situation or the
requirement of the research. With reference to the present study conducted on the topic “To
determine the influence of virtual-tourism on footfall of tourists in UK”, the respective
investigator has selected quantitative form of research method with the motive of attaining
accurate and authenticates information on the proposed research topic. Data collection method – Collection of data is considered as the most important part of
every research where gathers information on proposed topic from several sources. The
main two types of methods from which data is gathered are primary and secondary
method of data collection. In primary method, investigator personally indulges into the
interaction with the respondents for gathering maximum information from them. It is first
hand data that is supportive in attaining authenticate outcome. Whereas, the secondary
method is useful in gathering information from the previous data or past conducted
research. This method feasible when investigator wants to collect required information in
the quicker manner. This method is both the time as well as cost effective. For
conducting this study in an appropriate manner, the respective investigator would make
use of primary method in which main preference would be given to the questionnaire
method. Sampling – Sampling is referred to be as the effective method of selecting respondents
from whom information would be gathered. For conducting present study in an
appropriate manner 200 respondents would be selected from total sample population.
These respondents will fill the questionnaire including all close ended questions.

The main advantage of making use of the questionnaire method is that it provides support in
collecting true and valid information from all the respondents. This is so because; the respective
researcher interacts with the respondent in personally. On the other hand, the main limitation of
the same study is its inclusion of close ended questions which have not allowed respondents to
express their own viewpoint towards the same study as they only have to choose best feasible
options from the available one.
Research Analysis
The overall gathered data from the study would be stored in SPSS file in order to make it
easier for the researcher to attain desired outcome towards the same. The main reason behind
choosing SPSS method is that it is supportive in expressing the desired outcome in simplest
manner which can be easily understood by readers or other person. Also, the investigator would
follow all ethical norms while conducting the study. For this, they ensure to keep whole data
confidential and safe so that they can keep themselves away from any kind of illegal activity.

REFERENCES
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