Virtual tourism market to reach $32.81 billion by 2030

By AI, Created 1:12 PM UTC, June 04, 2026, /AGP/ – The global virtual tourism market is projected to grow from $17.15 billion in 2026 to $32.81 billion by 2030, driven by demand for remote travel, VR adoption and immersive content. North America led the market in 2025, while new tools like spatial audio, haptic feedback and cloud platforms are expected to shape the next phase of growth.

Why it matters: - Virtual tourism is moving from a niche digital experience to a growing travel alternative for consumers, museums, cultural sites and real estate firms. - The market’s projected rise signals more demand for immersive technology that can support remote access, cultural preservation and virtual property viewing. - The Business Research Company estimates the market will nearly double between 2026 and 2030, which points to sustained investment opportunities across tourism and adjacent industries.

What happened: - The Business Research Company released its Virtual Tourism Market Report 2026 on June 4, 2026. - The report values the global virtual tourism market at $17.15 billion in 2026, up from $14.56 billion in 2025. - The report projects the market will reach $32.81 billion by 2030, implying a 17.6% CAGR from 2026 to 2030. - North America held the largest share of the virtual tourism market in 2025. - The report covers Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, the Middle East and Africa. - The company also published a free sample of the report and the full market report online: More information and the full report.

The details: - The market grew at a 17.7% CAGR from 2025 to 2026. - The report links recent growth to limits on physical travel worldwide, early adoption of virtual museum tours, more digital documentation of cultural landmarks, higher internet penetration and wider use of immersive 360-degree media. - Virtual tourism uses technology to simulate visits to real or imagined destinations and lets users explore from anywhere. - Virtual tourism is positioned as a safe and convenient travel substitute when physical travel is risky or impractical. - The report says virtual tourism can help preserve and promote cultural heritage through detailed digital archives of historic sites and traditional practices. - The report identifies expanding real estate activity as a major driver because property companies use VR and AR for immersive virtual tours. - The report cites U.S. Census Bureau data showing 1,493,000 privately owned housing units received building permits in June 2023, up 3.1% from 1,399,000 in May 2023. - The company expects demand to be supported by remote travel interest, metaverse tourism platforms, more immersive content investment, wider VR device adoption and stronger tourism-tech partnerships. - Forecasted trends include more immersive VR tours, higher-resolution 3D scanning, spatial audio, haptic feedback, cloud-based virtual tourism platforms and efforts to digitize cultural heritage. - The 2026 report also includes market attractiveness scoring, TAM analysis, company scoring matrix graphics and tables, Excel-based forecasting dashboards, market hotspots infographics, key technologies and future trend analysis, plus updated graphics and tables.

Between the lines: - The report frames virtual tourism as part entertainment, part infrastructure for digital access to places and experiences. - Real estate’s inclusion as a demand driver suggests the market is broadening beyond leisure travel into commercial applications. - North America’s lead in 2025 suggests the region may have stronger consumer readiness, better device penetration or more developed digital content ecosystems than other markets. - The emphasis on cloud platforms, spatial audio and haptic feedback suggests the next competitive step is not just more content, but more realism and lower-friction access.

What’s next: - The market’s next phase likely depends on how quickly VR hardware, immersive content production and tourism-tech partnerships scale. - Growth may accelerate as more destinations, museums and property firms digitize experiences for remote users. - The report points to continued competition among regions as adoption spreads across Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas.

The bottom line: - Virtual tourism is on track for fast, global growth, with technology upgrades and remote-experience demand likely to keep expanding the market through 2030.