The role of augmented reality in ensuring the sustainability of cultural heritage sites from the perspective of tourism academicians

With the spread of information and communication technologies and the more functional internet infrastructure, current technological developments have begun to be used in many areas. Cultural heritage tourism, where the concepts of humanity and culture are fundamental, is one such area. Cultural heritage holds significant traces of a society's social, economic, and cultural life, making its preservation and transmission crucial. Recently, augmented reality technology has gained importance in the preservation of cultural heritage. Augmented reality technologies used in museums, cultural heritage sites, monuments, and art galleries stand out in virtual reconstruction. Additionally, augmented reality applications are noteworthy for providing users with the ability to instantly adapt to their environment and view realistic, three-dimensional representations of artifacts. The study aims to elucidate the perspectives of tourism academics at universities in the Mediterranean and Aegean regions on augmented reality technology and its role in the sustainability of cultural heritage sites. A qualitative research method, specifically the semi-structured interview technique, was employed. Data obtained from interviews with 55 participants were subjected to content analysis, and the results were evaluated accordingly. The findings of the research indicated that the majority of academics are knowledgeable about augmented reality technology and believe it has predominantly positive impacts on the tourism sector. Furthermore, the technology was found to have a positive effect on the preservation of cultural heritage. Augmented reality technology was identified as a particularly effective tool in the context of the environmental/physical sustainability of cultural heritage sites. Additionally, it was determined that augmented reality positively influences the "revenue" factor in the economic dimension and the "cultural awareness" factor in the socio-cultural dimension.