Viewpoints on AR and VR in heritage tourism

In recent years, the emerging digital technologies of VR and AR have had practical applications for visitors in the tourism sector. The purpose of this study was to identify the usage of VR and AR in heritage tourism based on the experience of tourists. Twenty-two thousand user reviews about AR and VR from websites in the field of tourism were extracted by Python and analyzed with text mining techniques. The usages are classified into six main categories: Introducing the heritage, helping to recognize the heritage, encouraging the desire to visit and facilitating the possibility of visiting the heritage, the effectiveness of managing the costs of the visit, and the possibility of sensory experience. These six categories, in the form of “heritage identification” and “heritage experience,” enhance visitors' information about heritage destinations, increase the quality of the visit experience, and ultimately improve visitor satisfaction. The results of this study can inform tourism marketing and future technology integration. Therefore, this area should be paid attention to by tourism professionals, and the advantages can be harnessed to create sustainable virtual experiences.