Social presence and experience economy: the effects of augmented and virtual reality in museums

The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) on visitors' museum experience. To date, some studies have investigated the factors that enhance visitor experiences through AR and VR; however, research focusing on social presence and experience economy in mixed-reality environments, combining both VR and AR, is limited. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the effect of social presence in mixed environments on tourist experiences by applying social presence and experience economy theories. Questionnaires were conducted with 163 museum visitors and found that social presence is a strong predictor of the four realms of the experience economy. In addition, three realms, except aesthetic experience, had an effect on the visitor experience, which consequently influenced tourists' intention to revisit the museum. Implications are drawn and presented for the adoption of AR and VR technologies in museums.