Augmented reality perceived value in expo tourism: exploring the roles of spatial presence, immersion, flow and readiness

Purpose Drawing on flow theory and the technology readiness index, the purpose of this study is to examine how spatial presence influences tourists’ flow experiences and how immersion mediates this relationship. It then explores how flow contributes to the perceived cognitive value of augmented reality (AR) and how technology readiness moderates the impact of flow on cognitive AR value. Design/methodology/approach From an initial pool of 1,506 respondents, a comprehensive set of rigorous screening criteria was applied to ensure that participants had attended Expo Dubai and could accurately identify the pavilions that incorporated AR technology. The final sample consisted of 315 valid responses. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to test all hypotheses. Findings Findings reveal that immersion partially mediated the relationship between spatial presence and tourists’ flow experiences, while flow directly influenced their cognitive AR value. Moreover, technology readiness significantly moderated the relationship between tourists’ flow experiences and cognitive AR value. Originality/value These findings offer theoretical contributions to the understanding of AR in tourism and provide practical insights for designing more engaging, immersive and user-centered AR applications.