Search Results (148)

In this publication we investigate in depth the design, architecture and implementation of a bio and cultural guiding system with augmented capabilities. Our platform will be able to provide a flexible and user-friendly application for smart mobile devices with Android OS, which will be able to provide to the user the ability to discover nearby places of interest such as museums, archeological sites, religious sites, natural beauty sites, etc. In addition, our application is able to offer users an enhanced, comprehensive and augmented tour experience, based on visual and audio smartphone services, using asynchronous and real-time user–server communication mechanisms, thus eliminating the need for a human tour guide operator in cases of a remote area, guiding service cost or unavailable time slot. The proposed platform integrates visual overlays, audio narration, Geolocation services, and cloud-based data management to enable users to explore cultural, historical, and natural points of interest without the need for a human tour guide. A modular, layered system architecture is developed, combining Firebase Realtime Database, RESTful web services, OpenStreetMap-based navigation, and Android-native components to ensure scalability, flexibility, and real-time responsiveness. UML modeling, including class and sequence diagrams, is employed to formally describe system structure and behavior, while a mathematical data model validates the consistency of the underlying database schema. The implementation demonstrates how AR guiding systems can enhance spatial understanding, accessibility, and user engagement while supporting sustainable tourism practices and efficient destination management. The results indicate that the proposed solution is technically feasible, user-centered, and adaptable to diverse bio-cultural contexts, contributing to the advancement of intelligent, inclusive, and sustainable digital tourism platforms. Full article

Museum-oriented built heritage sits at the intersection of conservation, structural assessment, and visitor experience, yet the integration of digital twin (DT) and virtual reality (VR) technologies across these domains has not been mapped as a unified research field. Within this broader interface, stone-built museums are treated as an interpretive lens and application case rather than as the strict scope of the indexed material. This study presents a structured bibliometric science-mapping analysis of 465 peer-reviewed articles retrieved from the Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection (1999–2026) through a four-stage PRISMA-ScR-informed screening protocol, using bibliometrix-based keyword co-occurrence, thematic mapping, and co-citation analysis. Four conceptual clusters emerge: digital documentation and photogrammetric survey; VR, virtual museum, Heritage Building Information Modelling (HBIM), and emerging digital-twin applications; AR-based museum experience and interpretation; and sustainable heritage tourism and management. Italy (n = 90) and China (n = 85) lead national output; Universidad Politécnica de Valencia is the leading institution (n = 31). A persistent separation between documentation-focused and experience-focused communities is observed. A three-pillar framework linking DT-based structural documentation, immersive visitor experience, and sustainable museum management through Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) interoperability is proposed for empirical validation in stone-built museum case studies. Full article

Large-scale location-based virtual reality (LBE VR) has become an important form of immersive cultural tourism, but its role in supporting sustained value transformation remains insufficiently understood. In this study, “sustained value transformation” refers to the extension, reinterpretation, and circulation of cultural, educational, social, and engagement-related value across physical venues, embodied virtual narratives, and digital platforms. Rather than assessing economic performance, environmental impact, or long-term operational viability, this study focuses on the cultural and social circulation of experiential value. It examines how physical venues, embodied virtual narratives, and digital platforms jointly mediate visitor experience in LBE VR-based cultural tourism. It compares representative LBE VR projects in museums and heritage institutions, emerging public cultural spaces, and commercial venues in China. A total of 10,862 project-related textual items and 464 visual samples were collected from Xiaohongshu and Douyin and analyzed through comparative content and visual analyses. The findings show that visitor choices are shaped by both the spirit of place in physical venues and platform-visible experience labels. In museums and heritage institutions, institutional knowledge authority and embodied narrative depth help visitors recognize interactive educational value. In emerging public cultural spaces, the intertwining of historical narratives and commercial operations produces more ambiguous experience labels. In commercial venues, platform discussions focus more strongly on value-for-money judgment, sensory stimulation, product quality, and service experience. The study argues that sustained value transformation in LBE VR-based cultural tourism cannot rely solely on platform traffic. Instead, it depends on collaboration among cultural institutions, tourism enterprises, platform content creators, educational actors, and community stakeholders to preserve cultural distinctiveness, improve experience quality, and extend cultural and social value beyond the immediate on-site experience. Full article

Virtual reality (VR) is transforming heritage tourism, yet understanding how specific technological attributes drive on-site visitation remains critical for destination marketers and policymakers. Grounded in the Stimulus–Organism–Response (SOR) model, this study investigates how VR vividness and interactivity (stimuli) influence perceived usefulness, immersion, ease of use, enjoyment, and certainty (organisms), ultimately shaping users’ on-site visitation intentions and behavioral involvement (responses) regarding Macao’s cultural heritage sites. Analyzing data from 230 users recruited via snowball sampling, the results indicate that the Ruins of St. Paul’s VR experience was the most popular (n = 113), followed by the Macao Museum (n = 95) and the Guia Fortress (n = 75). Structural equation modeling demonstrates that VR vividness and interactivity significantly influence user perceptions, which in turn impact on-site visitation intentions and behavioral involvement, with the sole exception of perceived enjoyment. These findings suggest that the “sense of presence” generated by VR significantly shapes on-site visitation intentions through internal cognitive (perceived usefulness, certainty) and combined cognitive–emotional (perceived immersion) organismic states. Conversely, perceived enjoyment has an insignificant effect on responses, while perceived ease of use, surprisingly, exerts a significant negative impact. The research offers actionable insights for developing immersive digital tools that bridge virtual engagement with tangible cultural heritage tourism in Macao. Full article

Large-scale datasets such as Objaverse or ShapeNet and repositories such as Sketchfab have been compiled for 3D content. Within the European 3DBigDataSpace project, a consortium of 10 partners assess open licensed 3D models to select and retrieve those models representing cultural heritage objects in Europe to aggregate them into the European Data Space. A key component of this work is the classification and geolocalization of 3D content, with mesh models viewable via different viewers and tested in different scenarios such as museum exhibitions, cultural tourism, or education. This article makes four principal contributions: (1) a current empirical overview of the global distribution and linguistic coverage of large-scale 3D heritage datasets; (2) a comparative evaluation of text-based and image-based methods for geocoding and semantic classification; (3) an analysis of data quality challenges specific to uncurated 3D heritage collections; and (4) a discussion of the implications of user-generated content for definitions of digital cultural heritage. Full article

Based on the stimulus–organism–response (S–O–R) framework, this study explored the psychological spillover mechanism through which tourism experiences in Museum Agglomeration Areas (MAAs) enhance city image and influence behavioral intentions. Structural equation modeling (SEM) based on survey data yielded several key findings. First, information visibility, content visibility, and the quality of amenities and the operational environment played critical roles in shaping tourists’ internal states, including perceived experiential value, affective response, immersion, and satisfaction. In addition, the social atmosphere emerged as an important factor in enriching these evaluations. Second, accessibility and connectivity were identified as factors that reduce friction along the visitor journey, thereby enhancing experiential continuity and immersion. Third, experiential value and immersion were found to be the primary mediators among the internal-state variables, transmitting the effects of environmental stimuli to city-level perceptions and behavioral intentions, such as revisit and recommendation intentions. These findings suggest that the competitiveness of MAAs lies not merely in spatial agglomeration itself but also in their ability to provide engaging and meaningful content, maintain safe and enjoyable operational environments, and develop integrated circulation and information systems. By conceptualizing MAAs as sites of district-scale tourism experiences, this study extends the application of the S–O–R framework to a multi-site urban cultural context and clarifies how differentiated internal states mediate the spillover from district experience to city-level perceptions and behavioral intentions. Rather than proposing a fundamentally new theoretical framework, the study offers a context-specific refinement of the organism layer and provides empirically grounded implications for design and operational strategies in culturally clustered urban districts. Full article

This study examines how perceived tourist comfort in museum agglomerations influences tourist satisfaction, museum agglomeration vitality, and the cultural sustainability of urban tourism, focusing on Jongno-gu, Seoul, based on the experiences of Chinese tourists. Moving beyond facility-centered evaluations of individual museums, the study conceptualizes museum agglomerations as continuous tourism environments shaped by movement, guidance, congestion, waiting, rest, and overall usability. Four latent constructs—Tourist Comfort, Tourist Satisfaction, Museum Agglomeration Vitality, and Cultural Sustainability of Urban Tourism—were tested using structural equation modeling. The results show that Tourist Comfort significantly enhances both Tourist Satisfaction and Museum Agglomeration Vitality, while Tourist Satisfaction further strengthens Museum Agglomeration Vitality. In addition, both Tourist Satisfaction and Museum Agglomeration Vitality have significant positive effects on the Cultural Sustainability of Urban Tourism. Tourist Comfort also exerts an indirect influence on cultural sustainability through the mediating pathways of Tourist Satisfaction and Museum Agglomeration Vitality. These findings contribute a demand-side, cluster-level explanation of how museum districts become experientially activated for tourists, while also indicating that the results should be interpreted as case-based evidence for Chinese tourists in Jongno-gu rather than as a universally generalizable model. Full article

During the last 15 years, the territorial strategy of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) has supported initiatives focused on promoting the sustainable growth of European fishing communities, such as establishing Museums of the Sea. These museums emphasize the preservation, safeguarding, and enhancement of both tangible and intangible maritime cultural heritage, turning territorial and identity resources into valuable assets with significant potential for cultural and educational tourism. They are essential in enhancing local identity and sense of belonging, along with the social appreciation of the fishing profession. This research collects and examines data originating from five Museums of the Sea founded since 2000 in the province of A Coruña (Galicia, Spain) with CFP financing. Findings emphasize the connections between the Museums of the Sea, education and tourism, creating opportunities for local growth in fishing-reliant areas, promoting economic variety, safeguarding maritime heritage, and strengthening maritime identity. Full article

Creating a digital 3D model of museum artefacts has been a common practice for many years. Such models can be used for archiving, research, and marketing purposes, as well as to counteract various types of exclusion. A digital copy created using professional 3D scanners using 3D structured-light scanning (3D SLS) or terrestrial laser scanning technology requires expensive equipment, specialised software for postprocessing, and a trained team. The introduction of mobile phones with Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensors and the development of appropriate open-access software have enabled the use of phones to generate digital 3D models. This study compares the quality of 3D models created with 3D SLS and mobile LiDAR technologies using three identical small museum artefacts from the Silk Road area of the Samarkand State University museum in Uzbekistan. They were digitised in 2017 and 2025. The results indicate that digital 3D models generated with an iPhone 16 PRO MAX device using Scaniverse LiDAR software are incomplete and thus less versatile. Therefore, they cannot serve as archival models. Their accuracy and quality (mesh density, size, and texture quality), as well as the speed of generating 3D models, make them ideal for marketing purposes and digital tourism. Full article

Cultural heritage is increasingly recognized as a pivotal driver of sustainable rural tourism, helping destinations diversify their offerings, reduce seasonality, strengthen local identity, and bring socio-economic benefits to depopulating communities. This study investigates its role in Šibenik-Knin County (Croatia), a Mediterranean region characterized by abundant tangible heritage (archaeological sites, medieval fortresses, sacral monuments, dry-stone architecture) and rich intangible traditions (gastronomic practices, klapa and ojkanje singing, local customs), yet still affected by a pronounced coastal–hinterland tourism imbalance. Through semi-structured interviews with ten key stakeholders from museums, tourist boards, academia, cultural institutions, and rural entrepreneurship organizations, complemented by literature review and analysis of policy and statistical data, the research reveals unanimous agreement that cultural heritage constitutes the county’s strongest competitive advantage and the most authentic foundation for year-round rural tourism products. However, systematic under-valorization persists due to chronic underfunding, weak cross-sectoral cooperation, limited professional capacity, and the absence of dedicated hinterland destination-management structures. The findings indicate that targeted investment, high-quality interpretation, and genuine community engagement can rapidly transform heritage resources into viable tourism assets, as demonstrated by existing successful cases. Realizing this potential requires coordinated governance, improved interpretive and digital infrastructure, and active resident involvement. Full article

Art museums play a critical role in sustaining cultural heritage, promoting lifelong learning, and supporting sustainable urban and tourism development. In this study, we identify the key attributes of art museums that shape visitor satisfaction and clarify how each attribute contributes to satisfaction or dissatisfaction. By drawing on the Kano model, we argue that not all attributes play the same role in influencing visitor evaluations, which holds important implications for the sustainable management of cultural institutions. To empirically test this, we analyze user-generated online reviews from a major immersive museum in South Korea using a two-stage approach: first, the main experiential attributes were extracted through topic modeling; second, the relationship between topic mentions and overall review ratings was evaluated through regression analysis. The findings reveal eight core attributes of the art museum experience, with one functioning as a satisfier and the others as dissatisfiers, demonstrating the asymmetric effects proposed by the Kano model. This study contributes to sustainability research in hospitality and tourism by conceptualizing art museums as service products with distinct attribute structures and by showing how optimized management of these attributes can strengthen the long-term sustainability of cultural tourism destinations. Practically, our results provide guidance for museum managers on which attributes require strategic prioritization to enhance visitor satisfaction and support sustainable operational practices. Full article

Recently, young people’s historical and cultural awareness has been increasingly described as fragmented and disengaged, particularly in the context of rapid social change and “liquid modernity”. Drawing on Clio, the Muse of History, as a metaphor for historical knowledge and memory, this study addresses this challenge by examining how heritage education and history didactics can be reimagined through digital transformation within tourism and educational training programmes. Based on an action research project conducted during the academic year 2022–2023 at the Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo (Portugal), we combine a mixed-methods approach with surveys (n = 65) and co-creation workshops (n = 6) inspired by the Finnish Demola model. The research was presented at the INVTUR conference (2024), reinforcing its international relevance and applicability to global debates on heritage, tourism and education. The results indicate that higher education students (mainly from Tourism and Education degrees) show a low level of historical consciousness and limited cultural consumption habits, despite broad access to digital tools and cultural opportunities. However, the co-creation process revealed innovative ways of reconnecting young people with cultural identity and history, particularly through digital storytelling, gamification and virtual heritage experiences. Results show that 68% of participants report low engagement in cultural activities and that less than one-third visit museums or heritage sites regularly. These findings suggest that digital heritage pedagogies can strengthen historical awareness and contribute to more sustainable and culturally rooted forms of education and tourism. The paper concludes by proposing a framework for integrating digital transformation, heritage education, and history didactics in tourism curricula, highlighting implications for policy, pedagogy and cultural sustainability. It also underscores the urgency of rethinking digital heritage pedagogies to strengthen historical awareness and foster a renewed sense of cultural citizenship. Full article

This article provides a comparative examination of two AI-assisted museums in Africa, the Dar Gnawa Museum (Marrakech) and the Grand Egyptian Museum (Cairo). It analyzes the AI functions and the strategies these institutions adopt to pursue techno-cultural empowerment in a field long shaped by power asymmetries in Africa. The literature review highlights how technological transfers in museum cooperation remain an overlooked vector of coloniality which the convergence of AI and heritage practices now brings sharply into view. This article develops the notion of clouded coloniality—a dual phenomenon in which heritage data is literally managed in the cloud, often from abroad, while diffracted layers of actors and processes obscure the identification of new imbalances in and around AI-assisted museums. This article designs a two-pronged analytical framework which first assesses AI functions within the Dar Gnawa Museum and the GEM, and then evaluates sustainable synergies between these institutions and their broader AI ecosystem. The results indicate that whereas the GEM prioritizes youth empowerment, the tourism industry, and partnerships with foreign stakeholders that could potentially expose Egypt’s cultural sovereignty, the Dar Gnawa Museum independently developed an AI tool, Kouyou, that could offer a transferable model for advancing Pan-African techno-cultural empowerment. Full article

Immersive technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and multisensory interaction are increasingly deployed to support the transmission and presentation of intangible cultural heritage (ICH), particularly within tourism and heritage interpretation contexts. In cultural tourism, ICH is often encountered through museums, heritage sites, festivals, and digitally mediated experiences rather than through sustained community-based transmission, raising important challenges for interaction design, accessibility, and cultural representation. This study presents a narrative review of immersive human–computer interaction (HCI) research in the context ICH, with a particular focus on tourism-facing applications. An initial dataset of 145 records was identified through a structured search of major academic databases from their inception to 2024. Following staged screening based on relevance, publication type, and temporal criteria, 97 empirical or technical studies published after 2020 were included in the final analysis. The review synthesises how immersive technologies are applied across seven ICH domains and examines their deployment in key tourism-related settings, including museum interpretation, heritage sites, and sustainable cultural tourism experiences. The findings reveal persistent tensions between technological innovation, cultural authenticity, and user engagement, challenges that are especially pronounced in tourism context. The review also maps the dominant methodological approaches, including user-centred design, participatory frameworks, and mixed-method strategies. By integrating structured screening with narrative synthesis, the review highlights fragmentation in the field, uneven methodological rigour, and gaps in both cultural adaptability and long-term sustainability, and outlines future directions for culturally responsive and inclusive immersive HCI research in ICH tourism. Full article

This study presents the HISTOESE (History Education for Sustainable Environments) Model, an empirically grounded and practice-based framework for cultural heritage education and sustainability. Developed through a qualitative, design-based research approach, it analyzes a longitudinal corpus of 50 master’s dissertations and supervised teaching reports (2008–2025) from the Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo, Portugal. Although the empirical basis derives from teacher education, the HISTOESE model fosters school–community partnerships that indirectly support cultural tourism and sustainable, place-based recovery. Using inductive thematic analysis, the study traced how project-based learning (PBL) activities mobilised local heritage, community collaboration, and sustainable pedagogical practices. Three key findings emerged: (1) local-context pedagogies strengthened children’s historical consciousness and heritage literacy; (2) inclusive, low-cost and upcycling strategies fostered community participation; and (3) partnerships with museums, tourism offices, and cultural associations generated visible cultural events that reinforced post-COVID resilience. The HISTOESE framework synthesises these insights into four interrelated pillars—Proximity and Contextualization, Inclusive and Sustainable Practices, Recognition and Valorisation and Active Citizenship and Collaboration—providing a transferable model for teacher education and community-based cultural sustainability. Practical implications concern curriculum design, heritage–tourism interfaces, and collaborative strategies for sustainable development. Full article