ABSTRACT
Purpose: Augmented reality (AR) is an emergent technology that has been impacting and beneficial to various industries. This is especially the case in the tourism industry since the COVID-19 crisis. To enable and enhance the museum experience, AR technology can be used as a tool to manage visitors' experiences and adapt to the digital transformation of industries. This research work aims to explore the acceptance of museum visitors for the adoption of this technology. For this purpose, the technology acceptance model (TAM) is used as the research lens. Design/methodology/approach: The authors collected 316 responses from a survey handed out to prior visitors of immersive exhibitions shown via AR at the Atelier des Lumières in Paris and analyzed them through a structural equation model approach. Findings: The study's findings explain the behavior of visitors when attending immersive exhibitions according to the TAM and highlight two new constructs that need to be considered when using the TAM with AR technology: user satisfaction and social mimetism. Originality/value: The study's findings support that implementing AR technology in the museum industry provides great opportunities for the tourism industry to recover from the economic crisis that followed from the COVID-19 health crisis. The authors identified new thriving concepts in the 21st century with the rise of social media, such as social mimetism, that propels visitors to have a positive attitude and intention to attend immersive exhibitions. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.
ABSTRACT
These are constantly changing times for the tourism industry. The COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying negative economic effects significantly impacted customer behavior and accelerated the need for companies to innovate. Business model innovation (BMI) is ideal for overcome these challenges by innovating the very core of the firm. However, siloed BMI thinking is insufficient: firms need a more holistic approach. We expand the current understanding of business model innovation by proposing a framework that integrates relevant dimensions (change impulses and business model configurations), context factors (service newness and degree of change or destination characteristics), and the outcomes of BMI initiatives into a comprehensive model for the tourism industry context. With our work, we want to guide future research and expand the currently unbalanced, heterogeneous picture of BMI in service industries. © 2022 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.