Validating the AR entertainment experience scale: Impacts on destination image and tourist behaviour among young tourists

This study develops and validates a measurement scale for Augmented Reality Entertainment Experience (AREE) and examines its influence on tourist satisfaction, destination image, and revisit intentions among young museum travellers. The research distinguishes AREE from traditional AR applications by emphasizing its entertainment-driven attributes and their impact on tourism experiences. A survey was conducted among 314 young tourists who engaged with projection-based AR experiences at three major museums in India. The study employed Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) for validating the AREE scale followed by Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to test the hypothesized relationships. The findings reveal that AREE significantly enhances tourist satisfaction and revisit intentions, while its direct impact on destination image is insignificant. Instead, satisfaction fully mediates the relationship between AREE and destination image, underscoring the importance of emotionally engaging AR experiences in shaping perceptions. Furthermore, destination image does not directly impact revisit intentions, suggesting that experiential factors may play a more dominant role in revisitation decisions for young travelers. The study provides theoretical contributions by extending the experience economy and self-determination theory to AR-driven tourism experiences, while practical implications highlight the need for strategic integration of AR in destination marketing to enhance visitor engagement and loyalty.