Understanding augmented reality marketing in world cultural heritage site, the lens of authenticity perspective

Abstract

With the development of the AR tourism experience, destination managers are starting to pay attention to the essential role of AR in tourism marketing, while at the same time, tourists’ demand for authenticity in AR is also increasing. The purpose of this study is to identify the relationships between Objective Authenticity, Constructive Authenticity and Existential Authenticity and their impact on tourist experience and behavioral intention during AR-based World Cultural Heritage site tourism experience. Results indicated that Constructive and Existential Authenticity positively predicted tourist satisfaction, and hence tourist intention to visit. However, Objective Authenticity has no significant impact on tourist satisfaction in the AR tourism experience. Theoretical and managerial implications are presented.

How does celebrity involvement influence travel intention? The case of promoting Chengdu on TikTok

“…In particular, TikTok creators produce destinationrelated tourism videos that contain local attractions and human features showcased through celebrities. Although destination authenticity and behavioral intention are important factors in technology-mediated tourism experiences (Gao et al 2022;Zhu et al 2022c), few studies explored the influence of the celebrity factor, especially in TikTok celebrity videos.…”

“…Wang (1999) hypothesized that tourists' experiences of tourist destinations can be divided into two dimensions of authenticity: object-based authenticity (objective and constructive authenticity) and existential authenticity, respectively. The two dimensions of destination authenticity have been well applied in tourism research (Atzeni et al 2022;Kolar and Zabkar 2010;Park et al 2019;Zhu et al 2022c). Therefore, the current study refers to Wang (1999) on the authenticity dimension and its application to TikTok experiences.…”

“…Recently, Atzeni et al (2022); Zhu et al (2022c) found that when Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) experiences exhibit strong authenticity, it can help tourists form positive tourism experiences and behavioral intentions. Similar to VR and AR, TikTok also presents tourism experiences through the use of information technology (Du et al 2020;Wengel et al 2022).…”

Tourism and Authenticity: Analyzing Retail Change in Lisbon City Center

“…In touristic cities, there is a construction of a new consumption ambiance, in which retail plays an important role, with authenticity assuming a central role. Authenticity is widely used in tourism studies [53], being defined as "tourists' enjoyment and perceptions of how genuine their experiences are" [54] (p. 2). For the current study, the concept of authenticity will be considered within three categories [55].…”

“…Objective: In this perspective, certain objects possess an authenticity that is somehow immutable and intrinsic [54], or as mentioned by Zhang et al [56], "Objective authenticity refers to the authenticity of originals or that which is recognized by authority". This evaluation of an objective authentic place, product, craft, or other can be legitimized by an external entity, such as local authorities or other institutions [57].…”