An Analytical and Comparative Approach to Cultural Heritage Experiences Enhanced With Augmented Reality

International audienceMany cultural heritage sites are enriching their visitors' experience by providing them with digital technologies such as augmented reality (AR) devices. The tourism literature has focused on the effects of using such devices in monadic studies with restrictive analytical frameworks, and mostly highlights their positive effects. This study, however, adopts an analytical approach by applying the notion of perceived value to the visitor's experience and comparing AR device usage to other non-technological visit alternatives. Based on a mixed-methods approach carried out at the Château de Chambord in France, a quantitative study first underlines that there is no improvement in the overall perceived value at the end of the visit with the use of an AR device compared to other non-technological alternatives. Then, a complementary qualitative study shows an improvement in the perceived value at different stages of the visit, counterbalanced by devaluation at other stages. These results are explained by disruptions in the sensations of presence/telepresence within the physical environment during the visitor's journey with the use of AR