Visitor-Centered Digital Transformation in Traditional Museum Spaces: Evidence from an AR-Enabled Digital Visitor Service in China

HRMARS - Traditional Museum spaces (TMS) remain vital for conserving and communicating cultural heritage, yet static interpretation can limit visitor engagement and flexible service delivery. This study investigates how an AR-enabled digital visitor service supports visitor-centered digital transformation in TMS and identifies key factors shaping visitors’ overall evaluation of the experience. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted on-site at the Life Evolution Hall of the Geological Museum of Guilin University of Technology (China). Using systematic intercept sampling, 418 valid visitor responses were collected immediately after the visit. Data were analyzed with IBM SPSS Statistics, including reliability and validity screening, Pearson correlation analysis and multiple regression modelling. Overall evaluation (OVE) was measured by Q8 as the dependent variable. The results show that visitors generally reported positive perceptions of the AR-enabled service. Multiple regression indicated that OVE is significantly influenced by both utilitarian perceptions and experiential engagement. Functional usefulness emerged as the strongest determinant of OVE, while interactivity, immersion, information accessibility and enjoyment also showed significant positive effects. Perceived ease of use did not demonstrate a significant direct effect in the final model. This study provides management-oriented evidence to guide sustainable digital transformation in traditional museum environments. The findings suggest that museums should prioritize functional interpretive value alongside immersive and interactive experience design when deploying AR-enabled visitor services, rather than focusing primarily on technological novelty or content volume.