Mobile augmented reality applications for heritage preservation in UNESCO world heritage sites through adopting the UTAUT model

Augmented reality (AR) technology has undergone enormous advancement and now AR applications can be seamlessly executed using modern-day smartphones. This study aims to develop a mobile AR application which consists of 3D AR models of historical monuments located within the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Melaka. The application allows tourists to obtain information of the monuments from the AR models, which provide an alternative way of visiting the actual monuments to prevent overcrowding effect and promote heritage preservation. Perceived Usefulness (PU), Perceived Ease of Use (PEU), Facilitating Conditions (FC), and Perceived Playfulness (PP) are proposed as the determinants of user’s Behavioural Intention to Use (BI) the application. Using 50 tourists in Melaka as respondents, a pilot study has been conducted to determine user’s acceptance of the AR mobile application based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). Cronbach’s Alpha test validated the internal consistency of the measures. Multiple Linear Regression analysis suggested that the proposed determinants explained 51.2% in user’s BI the application. PU was the strongest determinant followed by FC while PEU and PP were found to be insignificant