Enhancing visitor experiences and economic outcomes through gamified AR: The impact of a Location-Based Augmented Reality Game in agritourism

Abstract

Agritourism merges agricultural activities with tourism, offering visitors immersive and educational experiences. While augmented reality (AR) has been studied in various tourism contexts, limited research explores its application in agritourism. This study explores the integration of a location-based augmented reality game (LBARG) into agritourism, assessing its impact on visitor experiences, time spent, spending behavior, and revisit intentions. To compare the quality of experiences, revisit intentions, spending, and time spent between the intervention and control groups, a one-way MANOVA was conducted. Pearson correlation analysis examined the relationship between coupons received and spending. Linear regressions explored the impact of game features (e.g., voucher redemption, exploration, coin collection, spinning the wheel) on revisit intentions, time spent, and spending. These analyses highlighted the connections between game features, user behavior, and spending patterns. The findings reveal that a LBARG significantly enhances immediate visitor experiences and spending, although it do not significantly increase revisit intentions. This research provides empirical evidence on the impact of LBARGs in agritourism, showing that augmented reality technologies can enhance visitor engagement and spending at agritourism sites.