XR in Cultural Tourism: A Study from a Design Psychology Course Deployment
Xuzixin

Chengdu College of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Sichuan, 611731；

Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia;

Abstract: Cultural destinations are increasingly using XR to create active, meaning-making visitor experiences. This study investigates how such immersive interventions shape place identification and behavioral intentions across three distinct cultural settings, including a heritage site, a theme park, and a community workshop. An exploratory survey (N = 100) revealed high perceived authenticity but also highlighted user discomfort and data privacy as key concerns. Visitor priorities differed by context; heritage visitors sought authenticity, theme-park visitors valued novelty, and community participants preferred low-pressure engagement.

Situated within a Design Psychology course, this research also demonstrates a teaching-embedded model for deploying and evaluating XR. It contributes a replicable measurement framework and context-specific design guidelines, bridging academic theory with real-world tourism strategy. This approach also provides a powerful method for training the next generation of cultural experience designers.

Keywords: Extended Reality; Cultural Tourism; Place Branding; Authenticity; Design Psychology

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