Is immersive extended reality memorable? Focusing on museum visitor's virtual experience and visit intention

Purpose This study aims to explore how virtual presentation modes (enabled by either extended reality or two-dimensional virtual tours) of a museum artifact impact visitor experience and their intentions to physically visit the museum. To achieve this goal, the study investigates the effects of virtual presentation mode on potential visitors' perceived narrative transportation and virtual experiences. It also investigates the relationships among potential visitors' virtual experience, memorability and their intention to physically visit the museum. Design/methodology/approach To test the proposed hypotheses, a total of 327 completed responses were collected and used for testing the measurement model and structural model after removing some incomplete and inattentive responses (based on the completion time and the variability of the Likert-scale measures). Partial least squares analysis was conducted using SmartPLS 4.0 to assess the quality of measurement properties and validate the research hypotheses. Findings Findings indicate that the manipulation of the virtual presentation modes significantly influences potential museum visitors' narrative transportation and experiences, which significantly enhances visitor experiences, and that memorability acts as a crucial mediator for the relationship between visitor experiences and future physical visit intentions. This research underscores the strategic value of extended reality in the tourism industry, especially for museums seeking to leverage digital interactions to increase physical visits. Originality/value Based on field experience, the manipulated presentation mode exhibited a significant association with narrative transportation, as well as with entertainment and escapism experiences. Moreover, this study illuminated the mediating role of memorability in shaping the relationship between potential visitor experiences and their intentions to visit the museum. Memorability emerged as a critical intermediary factor, facilitating the influence of potential visitor experiences on their future intentions. This research contributes substantially to the literature and industry practices surrounding the application of extended reality technologies in smart tourism, with a particular focus on cultural heritage sites, notably museums.