Can virtual tourism save local businesses in tourist destinations? Virtual reality goggles. taboer-roeder/flickr, CC BY-ND Muhammad Muhajir Aminy, Universitas Islam Negeri (UIN) Mataram Imagine you can visit the beautiful tropical island of Lombok in eastern Indonesia from the comfort of your couch through your laptop or smartphone. Tourists can stay at home while listening to travel agents’ voices explaining localities and looking at places they visit virtually through gadgets. With the COVID-19 pandemic severely affecting the global tourism industry, virtual tourism – the use of virtual reality for tourism activities – has helped travel agents survive the crisis but, unfortunately, not so much for local businesses in tourism destinations. A…