Technological Innovation in Promoting the Sustainable Development of Tourist Factories: Factors Influencing Tourists’ Perceived Value and Loyalty in Immersive VR Experiences

Chinese tourist factory attractions are increasingly adopting Virtual Reality (VR) technology into experience design to enhance the appeal, visitor loyalty, and the industry’s sustainable development. However, research regarding the impact of VR on the sustainable development of factory tourism remains underexplored. This study reconstructs the “VR Perceived Experience-Perceived Value-Tourist Loyalty” model to explore the mechanisms through which VR experiences affect tourists’ perceived value, loyalty, and sustainability in tourist factories. We surveyed 521 VR participants at tourist factories and employed structural equation modeling for empirical analysis. The results indicate that: (1) the authenticity, immersion, interactivity, and aesthetics of VR experiences at tourist factories significantly and positively affect VR multi-sensory perception experiences; (2) multi-sensory VR perception experiences significantly and positively affect the perceived quality and perceived value of tourist factories; (3) multi-sensory VR perception experiences do not directly influence tourist loyalty; (4) VR perceived quality significantly and positively affects the perceived value and loyalty toward tourist factories; (5) the perceived value of tourist factories significantly and positively affects tourist loyalty. The findings elucidate the interrelationships between VR experiences, tourists’ perceived value, and loyalty in the context of tourist factories. They also provide theoretical support and practical guidance for policymakers in industrial tourism policymaking, management, experience design, and the sustainable development of factory tourism.