Abstract: To solve the problem of tourism behavior restriction under the background of COVID-19, this paper, taking the development and utilization of the tourism resources in Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province as example, discusses how to use virtual reality (VR) technology to expand the tourism perspective from scenic spots to pre-and post-tourism services so as to upgrade tourism through promotion and service. This paper first summarizes the advantages of VR tourism in the background of COVID-19, and then analyzes the present situation and problems in development and utilization of natural and human tourism resources in Chuxiong before, on this basis, finally putting forward the development strategy of Chuxiong VR tourism, including building Chuxiong VR tourism experience products, perfecting Chuxiong VR tourism service, and developing the Chuxiong VR tourist channels.

Key words: VR tourism, Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture, digital communication, COVID-19