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An increasing number of immersive technologies have been adopted in museum tourism in response to shifting consumer habits in the digital era. In contrast, the authenticity experience of museum tourists relies on genuine relics, the environment and activities, which are ancient or traditional. This raises the question of whether tourists can perceive authenticity in immersive technology-based museum tourism. To address this question, this study aims to explore the impact of virtual reality (VR) attributes on tourists’ presence, tourism authenticity and subsequent behavioral intentions in virtual museums.

Data were collected via scenario-based surveys of participants who had taken virtual museum tours based on VR. A total of 174 effective questionnaires were collected for exploratory factor analysis via SPSS 25. Afterward, 597 questionnaires were obtained for confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis via Mplus 7.4.

A conceptual model of how VR attributes influence presence, authenticity and visit intention was developed. There is a chain intermediary between presence and visit intentions, from original authenticity to interactive authenticity and then to emotional authenticity. Technology readiness and museum familiarity moderate some relationships between VR attributes and presence.

The findings can guide museums in improving the use of VR. For example, managers can improve the quality of virtual systems and adopt various interactive forms to enhance tourists’ participation experiences.

These research findings contribute to the research area of immersive technology adoption, enhance the understanding of tourism authenticity in the new context of technology application and extend the presence-emotion-intention theory.

The aim is to analyse a regional cultural tourism object in Latvia, focusing on the elements of smart tourism as an indication of opportunities provided by digital technologies and its practical application.

The research employed data from the Central Statistical Office of the Republic of Latvia (hereinafter CSB), publicly available reports by ministries of the Republic of Latvia (hereinafter RoL), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (hereinafter OECD) etc., as well as summarized scientific findings on the research problem. Data on the use of smart technology elements at the Rundale Palace Museum were obtained in two ways: from public reports on the museum in 2016–2021 and additionally an expert interview was conducted with the deputy director of the museum. The expert interview questions were semi-structured.

The characteristics of cultural tourism indicate the use of ICT in destination management, marketing, planning, process organization and changes in organizational culture. The recognizable elements of smart cultural tourism are the smart travel destination, smart experiences and smart business. 4.0 G technologies are required to ensure the functioning of the elements: artificial intelligence, big data analytics, the Internet of things, blockchain, cloud computing, virtual and augmented reality. Smart cultural tourism is a unified system involving several levels of national and municipal institutions, organizations, entrepreneurs and NGOs. The implementation of smart cultural tourism requires centralized funding to implement and manage digital connectivity between the stakeholders. In the Latvian and Baltic context, the Rundale Palace Museum has been established as a cultural tourism object – a Renaissance palace museum, which is the second most visited museum in Latvia. The Rundale Palace Museum digitizes the services it provides within its financial possibilities, e.g. cloud data for remote purchase of visitor tickets, self-registration of visitors in the single visitor system, augmented reality and mobile applications. The Internet of things is not used, while artificial intelligence is partially used by the museum. At the Rundale Palace Museum as a smart tourist destination, the research did not identify the following features: a technological platform, a smart destination strategy and use of big data. Further, public-private consumer cooperation is not in place. The Rundale Palace Museum was not identified as an element of smart business, as a single smart business ecosystem for cultural tourism has not been created in the entirety of Latvia as yet nor in the Zemgale region in particular. Communication between cooperation partners occurred via telephone.

Few research studies on digital solutions for cultural tourism in Latvia and in the region of Zemgale, where the largest Renaissance pearl in Latvia and the Baltic States – the Rundale Palace Museum – is located, have been conducted; hence, this study contributes to addressing the research gap.

This study aims to investigate the perception of smart tourism technologies (STTs) in creating museum tourism experiences and assess visitors’ intentions to test the impact, the extent and role that STTs play in museum service.

The investigation was conducted through an online and on-site survey; data were collected in four different museums with 365 museum tourists in four countries. SmartPLS (version 3.3.3) was used to access the measurement and structural model based on path modelling and bootstrapping.

STTs have a positive impact on creating a memorable tourism experience for museum visitors and are beneficial to revisit intention and positive recommendations. The impact is stronger than traditional services such as museum setting and staff service. STTs can be considered an independent new service to museums rather than complementing existing services. STTs negatively affect tourism’s experience at the communication stage.

Previous studies have noted the growing attention to the museum visitor experience, but the combined impact of new elements, such as STTs, remains an unexplored area. This study addressed the research gap through an empirical investigation and offers guidelines to test museum visitors’ acceptance and fitness for the services provided by STTs. In addition, this study presents a new point of view on the roles that STTs take in museum service, which can be useful for further investigations.

本研究旨在调查智慧旅游技术 (STT) 在创造博物馆旅游体验和评估游客意图方面的感知。测试智能旅游技术在博物馆服务中的影响、程度和作用。

研究调查是通过在线和现场问卷调查进行的; 数据是在四个国家的四个不同博物馆中收集的, 共收集了 365 名博物馆游客的数据。 SmartPLS（版本 3.3.3）用于访问基于路径建模和引导的测量模型和结构模型。

智慧旅游技术对为博物馆参观者创造难忘的旅游体验具有积极影响, 并有利于重访意向和积极推荐。这种影响比博物馆的环境设置和员工服务等传统服务更强。智慧旅游技术可以被视为对博物馆的一项独立的新服务, 而不是对现有服务的补充。智慧旅游技术对博物馆游客在传播阶段的体验产生负面影响。

以前的研究已经注意到学界对博物馆参观体验的关注日益增加, 但 STT 等新元素的综合影响仍然是一个未探索的领域。 本研究通过实证调查补充了研究缺口, 并提供了测试博物馆参观者对 STT 提供的服务的接受度和适应性的指南。此外, 本研究提出了 STT 在博物馆服务中的作用的新观点, 这对进一步的研究很有帮助。

Resumen

El objetivo de este estudio es investigar la percepción de las Tecnologías Turísticas Inteligentes (TTIs) en la creación de experiencias turísticas en los museos y evaluar las intenciones de los visitantes para probar el impacto, el alcance y el papel que desempeñan las TTIs en el servicio de los museos.

La investigación se llevó a cabo a través de una encuesta online y presencial; los datos se recogieron de 365 turistas en cuatro museos diferentes de cuatro países. Se utilizó SmartPLS (versión 3.3.3) para evaluar el modelo de medida y el modelo estructural basado en la modelización de trayectorias y el bootstrapping.

Las TTIs tienen un impacto positivo en la creación de una experiencia turística memorable para los visitantes de los museos y son beneficiosas para la intención de volver a visitarlos y las recomendaciones positivas. El impacto es mayor que el de los servicios tradicionales, como la ambientación del museo y el servicio del personal. Las TTIs pueden considerarse un nuevo servicio independiente para los museos, más que un complemento de los servicios existentes. Las TTIs afectan negativamente a la experiencia del turismo en la fase de comunicación.

En estudios previos se ha observado la creciente atención que se presta a la experiencia de los visitantes de los museos, pero el impacto combinado de nuevos elementos, como las TTIs, sigue siendo un área inexplorada. Este estudio aborda esta laguna de la investigación mediante una investigación empírica y ofrece directrices para comprobar la aceptación y la adecuación de los visitantes de los museos a los servicios prestados por las TTIs. Además, este estudio presenta un nuevo punto de vista sobre las funciones que asumen las TTIs en el servicio de los museos, que puede ser útil para futuras investigaciones.

This study reflects on heritage, culture and museums as vectors of the tourist development of a destination. Considering the challenges inherent in the efficient correlation of these three areas, this study intends to demonstrate the clear benefits resulting from knowledge sharing and effective cooperation.

Based on the objectives outlined, the authors conducted a survey of the visitors of the Costume Museum, which was chosen for being one of the unmistakable icons identifying the cultural heritage of Viana do Castelo (Portugal).

In an increasingly competitive tourist market, with demand resulting from growing specialization, the integration of museological spaces as patrimonial and cultural elements in the supply of tourist destinations is an important factor in differentiation and development.

To enhance the importance of the Costume Museum in the process of the tourist development of the city, it is fundamental to define a clear strategy for attracting and responding to the greatest demand from cultural tourists who are increasingly interested in actively participating in learning experiences. It is believed that a larger sample could strengthen the conclusions, eventually more relevant and closer to the reality.

The results show that visitors to the Costume Museum very positively evaluated the museum with regard to several factors covered in this study. However, there is a great dependence on school visits. On the other hand, lower qualitative evaluations were made by older age groups and those with higher academic degrees, although the evaluations remain positive.

The paper presents museums as a possible factor in tourism development and social inclusion, advancing practical measures aimed at social justice through a fairer distribution of tourism revenues and the defence of historic centre residents' way, and quality, of life.

This paper examines the importance of the Costume Museum in the tourist development of Viana do Castelo (Portugal). This study reflects on heritage, culture and museums as vectors of the tourist development of a destination. Particular attention is given to visitors' motivations for visiting and their opinions about the quality of service, satisfaction and loyalty regarding this museum.

This paper aims at investigating how tourist experience elicits satisfaction and contributes to loyalty and willingness to pay more for a museum destination. The study also investigates the significant moderating role of visiting frequency on the relationship between satisfaction and willingness to pay more.

The research was conducted with 385 tourists who visited the National Museum in Ghana and answered questions relating to experience, satisfaction, loyalty, and willingness to pay more. Structural equation modelling was used to test the relationships and effects of the adapted constructs.

The results revealed the significant effects of tourist experience on satisfaction, as well as the significant effects of satisfaction on loyalty and willingness to pay more. In addition, a significant moderating effect of visiting frequency was reported on the relationship between satisfaction and tourist willingness to pay more.

The research is destination-specific. The application of the findings to other museums would demand a bigger sample size for generalisation to be made.

Managers should develop strategies that promote museum tourist travelling experience, satisfaction, desire and choice, and thereby attract more tourists to museum sites.

The research contributes to the growing literature on museum tourist experience as an important variable in promoting tourist satisfaction, loyalty, and tourist willingness to pay more.

This paper aims to better understand museums’ image. The study examined the influence of visitors’ socio-demographic (gender, social class), tripographic (party group, previous experience with the museum and timing of the decision to visit the museum) and geographic characteristics (national – international visitors), on the different components and dimensions of perceived museums’ image (cognitive and affective) in a major tourism destination.

This research focussed on museums located on Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain). The population of the study included museum attendees who visited the main museums of the island (13 museums). The selection of respondents (252) was made following a systematic random sampling at the exit gate of the museums.

The repeat visitors and those who plan the visit in advance were found to have a more positive museums’ image for both the cognitive and the affective components of museum image. There was also a positive influence of party group on the cognitive and affective dimensions of image, whereas families showed a less positive image. In addition, there were significant relationships between the visitors’ socio-demographic characteristics of gender, and social class, and the affective and cognitive components of image – women and higher classes achieving a better image. National visitors also showed a more positive image on both the cognitive and affective components of museum image. Six image dimensions were found and specific effects on each are discussed.

This study adds to the growing literature on museums for a better understanding of the perceived image of this cultural product (museums) at the destination, and how it can be managed according to the profile of their publics. Additionally, it considers the different dimensions of museums’ image: quality of visitation experience, convenience and functionality, price, general appearance, museum shop and affective image.

This paper aims to explore how digital technologies can transform the museum into an “interaction platform” able to play a key role in the value co-creation processes of the tourism destination.

The paper applies the “co-creation through interactions” perspective by Ramaswamy and Ozcan. Empirically, the paper is based on the methodology of single case study identified in MArTA, the well-known National Archeological Museum of Taranto (South Italy). Data collection has been implemented through interviews with key informants and secondary data related to online interviews, press release and reports.

Findings provide empirical evidence about the contribution that a digitalization strategy can create a “museum as a platform” in which the interactions between the museum, its stakeholders and other co-creation elements (interfaces, artifacts and processes) bring benefits in terms of tourism experiences and sustainable development of the destination.

This research highlights the cultural changes and the actions that museum management has to implement to properly benefit from digitalization and to transform the museum into a reference point for reflection and innovation.

Elements of originality can be found in (1) the exploration of the wide spectrum of benefits and innovations that digital technologies can offer to the museum-mediated interactions and (2) the contribution to the understanding of the museum as a digitalized “interaction platform” capable of supporting the processes of co-creation of value in the complex network of actors and objects of a tourism destination.

So far, most studies in cultural tourism have looked at visitors in relation to the experience itself. This study aims to bring a broader view on what constitutes the daily environment of younger visitors and how museums could use this knowledge to develop a service delivery that is more adapted to their needs without sacrificing the museums’ integrity and authenticity. As such, this research brings a unique and deeper analysis of young visitor behavior, in relation to arts and cultural practices that could be expanded to other areas of tourism experiences.

The present study examines the main art and cultural tourism activities among adolescents. Using 32 in-depth interviews with adolescents between 13 and 18 years of age, this research takes a closer look at their experience and perceptions of art museums and exhibitions.

The findings show that adolescents’ perception of arts and exhibitions do not correspond to museum art criteria held by cultural tourism professionals. Based on the key theoretical themes emerging from the empirical investigation, a conceptual framework of adolescents’ attitudes toward arts and exhibitions is now presented to provide insights into the dimensions of adolescents’ art consumption in today’s western consumer society. Figure 1 provides a graphic model that visualizes adolescents’ art consumption experiences and summarizes the main findings and marketing implications in the arts field.

Based on these findings, new ways of engaging with adolescents in the field of arts are suggested to create new business opportunities for the museum. The findings lean toward the necessity to develop a more youth-centric approach, which differentiates between how adults define art and what adolescents believe art is supposed to be. Thus, the findings demonstrate that adolescents’ art consumption experiences are deeply anchored within the context of their social environment and the value judgments of their peers. The adolescent-centric logic within the arts experiential context is taken into account to underline the gap existing in many current arts marketing strategies that are targeting young visitors – and especially adolescents.

This study aims to assess whether or not the weight of the impact of the recent rubbish emergency in the Province of Naples (Italy) causes a temporary impact inbound tourism demand and the number of visitors to museums situated in the Province.

The research is based on secondary data referring to monthly tourist arrivals and visitors to museums to the Province of Naples, during the period in which crisis reached its climax. The variation of tourist arrivals and visitors to museums between this period and the same period of the previous four years represents the means for detecting an eventual decrease in inbound tourism demand and visitors to museums.

Research findings show the variation in the number of tourists and in the number of visitors to museums in the Province from 2004 to 2008. Despite the pessimistic estimates reported by media, the situation in the Province of Naples, during the period in which the refuse emergency reached a climax, is quite surprising.

Historical data do not refer to the whole period during which the crisis took place. The study cannot consider the long‐term impact of the refuse emergency on inbound tourism demand and on museum visitors, seeing as the crisis has only recently been resolved.

The research detects strong and weak points in the tourist offer in the Province of Naples; the elaboration of corrective practices and tools for reinforcing the image of the Province of Naples represent practical implications useful to local government, tourism operators, and museum managers.

This study is an initial attempt to analyse the impact of the refuse emergency on inbound tourism demand and on visitors to museums.