This paper presents SmartTur+ECO, a system for tourist attractions that integrates conversational recommendation systems (CRS), virtual reality (VR), and gamification. It efficiently gathers trip data and elicits user preferences through interactions with a chatbot, addressing the user-cold start problem common in tourism. Using an exploit-explore approach with sentence embeddings from POI descriptions, SmartTur+ECO provides precise and personalized recommendations organized into multi-day plans, considering opening hours and locations. VR integration offers immersive pre-trip experiences, helping users make informed decisions. Gamification elements like mini-games and rewards boost user engagement and motivation. SmartTur+ECO’s modular and scalable architecture ensures compatibility with various devices and allows for the easy integration of new algorithms and data sources, enhancing recommendation accuracy. This innovative combination sets new standards in tourism by making travel planning more efficient, entertaining, and meaningful.