Augmented Reality in Shopping Tourism: Boosting Tourism Development Through Innovation in Barcelona

Abstract This research explores the attractiveness and innovation of shopping tourism in the Gaudí neighbourhood in Barcelona, Spain, along with the potential for augmented reality (AR) experiences, as well as the impact of visitors’ tolerance of technologies. An online survey detected outcomes and offered insights for enrichment similar tourism areas using AR. The findings are positive, demonstrating significant funding for making use of augmented reality initiatives. This investigation confirms the strength of the Technology Adoption Model (TAM) within the framework of innovative use in a touristic neighbourhood. The study, thus, supports the current use and expansion of the TAM hypothesis by focusing on the less studied shopping tourist's context. The outcomes provide recommendations for the design of AR projects for segmented tourism experiences, comprising the importance of making AR tourism experiences more enjoyable, pleasant, and exciting, and this research demonstrates that AR practices can enhance tourists’ perceived value. By examining the data collected from 415 tourists in the Gaudí neighbourhood who were willing to enjoy shopping experiences, the outcomes illustrate a correlation between AR tourism experiences and perceived value. Hence, this validated that AR acceptance enables the connection between tourists’ perceived value of the Gaudí neighbourhood and AR technology's usability.