remote sensing Article The Use of Virtual Reality to Promote Sustainable Tourism: A Case Study of Wooden Churches Historical Monuments from Romania 1, 2 2 2 2 Tudor Caciora *, Grigore Vasile Herman , Alexandru Ilies, ,S, tefan Baias , Dorina Camelia Ilies, , Ioana Josan 2 and Nicolaie Hodor 3 1 Doctoral School in Geography, University of Oradea, 1 Universitatii Street, 410087 Oradea, Romania 2 Department of Geography, Tourism and Territorial Planning, Faculty of Geography, Tourism and Sport, University of Oradea, 1 Universitatii Street, 410087 Oradea, Romania;
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[email protected]; Tel.: +40-740-941-144 Abstract: The accelerated development and expansion of cultural tourism in areas with unique tourist objectives, characterised by a high degree of risk in terms of their physical and chemical integrity, requires sustained efforts by all stakeholders to identify new methods, techniques, and procedures for their conservation, protection, and capitalisation, with respect to tourism. The aim of this study was to propose an optimal methodology for capitalising on tourism related to wooden churches, regarded as a structural item of tangible cultural heritage, with positive effects on the protection, conservation, information, and awareness of all stakeholders in tourism development. Citation: Caciora, T.; Herman, G.V.; This involved the development of a web portal, in which were integrated the 3D models related to Ilies, , A.; Baias, S, .; Ilies, , D.C.; Josan, I.; the analysed objects, the panoramic images inside them, the audio support, the photographs, and the Hodor, N.