Reconfiguring heritage interpretation skills: a theory-building study of VR, AR, and mobile technologies in tourism guiding education

Incorporating immersive technologies into tourism guidance education offers new opportunities for heritage interpretation and professional preparation. This study examines how virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and interactive mobile applications shape the learning experiences of tourism guidance students in Egypt and the UAE. Using an exploratory, theory-building qualitative design, semi-structured interviews with 12 students and eight instructors were analysed thematically. The findings show that immersive technologies facilitate interpretive embodiment, support digitally mediated professional identity formation and reframe students' motivation towards professional practice, while their effectiveness is conditioned by infrastructure, content suitability and instructional design. The study develops a process-based conceptual model explaining how immersive digital mediation connects heritage interpretation with professional formation. It contributes to tourism education theory by extending experiential and situated learning perspectives and highlights the value of combining digital rehearsal with field-based learning.