Digital engagement and visitor satisfaction at world heritage sites: A study on interaction, authenticity, and recommendations in coastal China

Zhang, Yuan; Papp-Vá y, Á pád; Szabó, Zol án
A icle
Digi al engagemen and isi o sa is ac ion a wo ld
he i age si es: A s udy on in e ac ion, au hen ici y, and
ecommenda ions in coas al China
Adminis a i e Sciences
P o ided in Coope a ion wi h:
MDPI – Mul idisciplina y Digi al Publishing Ins i u e, Basel
Sugges ed Ci a ion: Zhang, Yuan; Papp-Vá y, Á pád; Szabó, Zol án (2025) : Digi al engagemen
and isi o sa is ac ion a wo ld he i age si es: A s udy on in e ac ion, au hen ici y, and
ecommenda ions in coas al China, Adminis a i e Sciences, ISSN 2076-3387, MDPI, Basel, Vol. 15,
Iss. 3, pp. 1-27,
h ps://doi.o g/10.3390/admsci15030110
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Ci a ion: Zhang, Y., Papp-Vá y, Á., &
Szabó, Z. (2025). Digi al Engagemen
and Visi o Sa is ac ion a Wo ld
He i age Si es: A S udy on In e ac ion,
Au hen ici y, and Recommenda ions
in Coas al China. Adminis a i e
Sciences,15(3), 110. h ps://doi.o g/
10.3390/admsci15030110
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A icle
Digi al Engagemen and Visi o Sa is ac ion a Wo ld He i age
Si es: A S udy on In e ac ion, Au hen ici y, and
Recommenda ions in Coas al China
Yuan Zhang 1, Á pád Papp-Vá y 2and Zol án Szabó 1,*
1Alexand e Lam alussy Facul y o Economics, Uni e si y o Sop on, H-9400 Sop on, Hunga y;
[email p o ec ed]
2Facul y o In e na ional Managemen and Business, Budapes Business Uni e si y,
H-1165 Budapes , Hunga y; papp- a y[email p o ec ed]
*Co espondence: szabo.zol an@uni-sop on.hu
Abs ac : This s udy in es iga es he impac o digi al ans o ma ion on isi o sa is ac ion,
engagemen , and ecommenda ion in en ions a Wo ld He i age Si es in Chinese coas al
ci ies. A su ey-based quan i a i e esea ch design was employed, collec ing da a om
ou hund ed and wo esponden s ac oss eigh ci ies using sys ema ic andom sampling.
s uc u al equa ion modeling (SEM) was applied o analyze ela ionships among digi al
pa icipa ion, pe cei ed au hen ici y, isi o sa is ac ion, and ecommenda ion beha io s.
Resul s highligh ha echnologies such as VR and AR enhance sa is ac ion, engagemen ,
and au hen ici y, d i ing ecommenda ion beha io s. Ex ending Cul u al Au hen ici y The-
o y and sa is ac ion–loyal y amewo ks, he s udy emphasizes he dynamic in e play o
digi al ools and cul u al na a i es. P ac ical ecommenda ions ocus on implemen ing cul-
u ally sensi i e, in e ac i e digi al s a egies o s eng hen he i age ou ism’s sus ainabili y.
Fu u e esea ch is encou aged o explo e eme ging echnologies like AI and he me a e se.
Keywo ds: digi al ans o ma ion; cul u al au hen ici y; isi o sa is ac ion; he i age
ou ism; sus ainable ou ism
1. In oduc ion
Digi al ans o ma ion is c i ical o enhancing isi o expe iences and managemen
e iciency a Wo ld He i age Si es. Technologies like VR and AR en ich his o ical na a i es,
os e ing isi o imme sion and sa is ac ion while p omo ing sus ainable de elopmen
(Ye sü en & Özel,2024;Y. Zhang & Szabó,2024). Despi e apid economic g ow h in China’s
coas al ci ies, esea ch on AR and VR emains ocused on Wes e n si es, lea ing gaps
ega ding Chinese des ina ions (Yu e al.,2024;Khalil e al.,2023). Unique sociocul u al,
beha io al, and policy ac o s in China necessi a e examining how hese echnologies
in luence isi o expe iences and ou comes. Gi en he high concen a ion o ou ism
ac i i ies, economic de elopmen , and in e na ional engagemen in China’s coas al he i age
si es, unde s anding how digi al ans o ma ion un olds in hese loca ions is c ucial o
bo h academic inqui y and p ac ical implemen a ion (Buhalis e al.,2023). While his
s udy ocuses on coas al he i age si es, p e ious esea ch on non-coas al he i age si es has
explo ed digi al adop ion unde di e en con ex ual ac o s, such as accessibili y, isi o
demog aphics, and local policy suppo (Y. Li e al.,2024). Recognizing hese dis inc ions,
his s udy aims o p o ide insigh s speci ically ele an o coas al he i age se ings.
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 110 h ps://doi.o g/10.3390/admsci15030110
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 110 2 o 27
This s udy employs s uc u ed su eys and s uc u al equa ion modeling (SEM) o
explo e how AR and VR enhance digi al pa icipa ion, au hen ici y pe cep ions, and sa is-
ac ion, ul ima ely d i ing ecommenda ion beha io s (Y. Li e al.,2024;Polishchuk e al.,
2023). The S imulus–O ganism–Response (SOR) amewo k links ex e nal s imuli (digi al
ea u es) o in e nal esponses (au hen ici y and sa is ac ion) and beha io al ou comes
( ecommenda ions), p o iding a heo e ical basis o hese ela ionships. While al e na-
i e amewo ks in ou ism esea ch, such as he Technology Accep ance Model (TAM)
o Expec a ion–Con i ma ion Model (ECM), could also explain echnology adop ion and
isi o sa is ac ion, SOR is pa icula ly sui ed o his s udy as i cap u es no only cog-
ni i e and emo ional esponses o digi al ea u es bu also beha io al ou comes, which
a e c ucial in unde s anding AR/VR-d i en engagemen in ou ism con ex s (Kim e al.,
2020). Gi en ha AR and VR expe iences a e designed o e oke psychological engage-
men and au hen ici y pe cep ions, SOR p o ides a mo e comp ehensi e app oach han
models ha p ima ily ocus on echnology adop ion o pos -consump ion sa is ac ion
(Nam e al.,2023).
The concep ual model ou lines co e a iables—pe cep ion o digi al ea u es, pa -
icipa ion, au hen ici y, sa is ac ion, and ecommenda ions—highligh ing hei in e play.
Findings emphasize he impo ance o cul u ally sensi i e digi al ools in enhancing isi o
expe iences and suppo ing sus ainable ou ism (Buhalis e al.,2023;Genc & Gule ekin
Genc,2023). By ex ending Cul u al Au hen ici y Theo y, his esea ch p o ides p ac ical
s a egies o he i age manage s and con ibu o s o unde s and how digi al ans o ma ion
eshapes au hen ici y pe cep ions (McLean e al.,2023;Nam e al.,2023).
2. Li e a u e Re iew
2.1. Digi al T ans o ma ion in He i age Tou ism and Pe cei ed Au hen ici y
The digi aliza ion o he i age ou ism in eg a es ad anced echnologies wi h cul u al
and na u al he i age, c ea ing dynamic and pe sonalized isi o expe iences (Bekele &
Champion,2019). Imme si e echnologies like VR, AR, digi al guides, and mobile ap-
plica ions enhance in e ac ion, accessibili y, and engagemen , ans o ming how ou is s
pe cei e and connec wi h he i age si es (Pisoni e al.,2021). These inno a ions b idge
angible he i age wi h mode n isi o expec a ions, ede ining educa ional and ec ea ional
expe iences (Zandi,2023). By le e aging in e ac i e ools and digi al s o y elling, hey no
only imp o e isi o sa is ac ion bu also s eng hen pe cep ions o au hen ici y, os e ing
he emo ional connec ions essen ial o meaning ul and memo able expe iences (V e akis
e al.,2019;Ben o d e al.,2022). As digi al echnologies eshape global he i age ou ism,
hei adop ion in China e lec s dis inc sociocul u al dynamics (Sha a uddin e al.,2024).
Unde he amewo k o Chinese he i age ou ism, exis ing s udies b oadly classi y
isi o expe iences in o wo p ima y ypes: (1) con en ional he i age ou ism (R. Zhang,
2020) and (2) digi ally in eg a ed ou ism (Liu,2020). Con en ional app oaches, cen e ed
on s a ic displays, physical a i ac s, and guided ou s, p io i ize he p ese a ion and
educa ion o cul u al alues while e ec i ely con eying his o ical na a i es (Jamal & Hill,
2013;Zidianakis e al.,2021). Howe e , hese me hods o en ail o mee he in e ac i i y
and pe sonaliza ion demands o mode n ou is s, limi ing hei engagemen and emo ional
esonance (Egge e al.,2020). Digi ally in eg a ed ou ism, by con as , u ilizes ad anced
echnologies such as VR, AR, digi al guides, and mobile applica ions o c ea e pa icipa o y
en i onmen s ha enhance isi o engagemen and os e deepe connec ions wi h cul u al
na a i es (Singh e al.,2024). These ools se e wo p ima y objec i es: (1) enhancing
ou is sa is ac ion by deli e ing imme si e, pe sonalized expe iences (H. W. Huang e al.,
2023) and (2) s eng hening pe cep ions o au hen ici y h ough in e ac i e and con ex -
ich p esen a ions o cul u al he i age (Pesca in e al.,2024). By ocusing on how isi o s
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 110 3 o 27
in e ac wi h and pe cei e hese digi al ea u es, digi ally in eg a ed ou ism no only
mee s e ol ing isi o expec a ions bu also lays he ounda ion o ac i e pa icipa ion
and meaning ul engagemen (Kim e al.,2020).
Building upon hese ca ego iza ions, esea ch highligh s he impo ance o digi al
ea u es, pa icipa ion, and au hen ici y in shaping ou is expe iences and in luencing
beha io s (Ve ma e al.,2022). In e ac i e echnologies ha e been shown o enhance engage-
men by enabling ac i e in e ac ion wi h cul u al na a i es, which signi ican ly imp o es
pe cei ed au hen ici y (Pe ousi e al.,2022). The alignmen be ween cul u al con en and
echnological p esen a ion s ongly in luences ou is s’ accep ance and sa is ac ion, ensu -
ing digi al ools mee e ol ing expec a ions (Z. Chen e al.,2024). Fu he mo e, ad anced
echnologies con ibu e o cogni i e esponses, pe cei ed alue, and o e all sa is ac ion
by p o iding con ex ually ich and dynamic in e ac ions (Dwi edi e al.,2024). Howe e ,
despi e hese ad an ages, he inc easing eliance on digi al echnologies in he i age ou ism
has also aised conce ns. Some schola s a gue ha excessi e digi aliza ion may lead o
a o m o “digi al de achmen ”, whe e isi o s become mo e ocused on echnological
media ion a he han he angible cul u al he i age i sel (Egge e al.,2020). Addi ionally,
he accu acy and au hen ici y o digi al econs uc ions emain a challenge, as ce ain
echnological in e p e a ions migh inad e en ly dis o his o ical na a i es (Kim e al.,
2020). These po en ial d awbacks highligh he need o a balanced app oach ha maxi-
mizes he bene i s o digi al ools while sa egua ding he cul u al and his o ical in eg i y o
he i age si es.
In egions such as China’s sou heas e n coas , ecognized o hei economic and cul-
u al p ominence, he in eg a ion o digi al echnologies plays a pi o al ole in add essing
he g owing demands o imme si e and pe sonalized expe iences while ein o cing he
cul u al and his o ical signi icance o he i age si es (Liu,2020). Gi en hese conside a-
ions, his s udy aims o explo e how digi al he i age ou ism can enhance isi o engage-
men and au hen ici y pe cep ions while mi iga ing he isks associa ed wi h excessi e
echnological media ion.
2.2. Adap a ion o he SOR F amewo k o Tou is Beha io Analysis
The S imulus–O ganism–Response (SOR) model, i s de eloped in en i onmen al
psychology (Meh abian,1974), has been widely applied o examine how ex e nal ac o s
shape ou is pe cep ions and beha io s. This model was ini ially in oduced o explo e
he ela ionship be ween ex e nal s imuli, in e nal media ing p ocesses, and esul ing
beha io al ou comes (Wang & Li,2023). Wi hin he con ex o ou ism esea ch, he SOR
model ca ego izes s imuli (S) as ex e nal ac o s, such as echnological a ibu es, se ice
en i onmen s, and cul u al se ings, ha in luence ou is s’ pe cep ions and expe iences
(Xiang e al.,2022). The o ganism (O) componen cap u es in e nal media ing p ocesses,
including emo ional engagemen , cogni i e e alua ions, and pe cep ions o au hen ici y,
which link ex e nal s imuli o speci ic beha io al ou comes (Kim e al.,2020). The esponse
(R) dimension ocuses on beha io al ou comes such as ou is sa is ac ion, loyal y, and
ecommenda ion in en ions, p o iding insigh s in o how ex e nal and in e nal ac o s
in e ac o shape ou is expe iences (Ca doso & F aga,2024).
While he SOR amewo k e ec i ely explains how ex e nal s imuli in luence ou is
beha io , i is essen ial o con as i wi h o he beha io al models o cla i y i s applicabili y
in digi al he i age ou ism. Compa ed o he Technology Accep ance Model (TAM), which
p ima ily emphasizes pe cei ed use ulness and ease o use in adop ing new echnology
(Q. Huang e al.,2023), he SOR amewo k o e s a mo e comp ehensi e app oach by
in eg a ing emo ional and cogni i e esponses in o beha io al analysis. Addi ionally, while
he Uni ied Theo y o Accep ance and Use o Technology (UTAUT) ocuses on pe o mance
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 110 4 o 27
expec ancy and acili a ing condi ions in echnology adop ion, i does no ully accoun o
ou is s’ psychological and emo ional engagemen wi h he i age si es (Ca doso & F aga,
2024). The SOR amewo k, by inco po a ing bo h a ional and a ec i e componen s,
p o ides a mo e holis ic unde s anding o how digi al ools media e isi o expe iences
and in luence au hen ici y pe cep ions (Kim e al.,2020). This dis inc ion jus i ies he use o
SOR in his s udy o examine he impac o digi al echnologies on isi o sa is ac ion and
beha io al in en ions wi hin he i age ou ism se ings.
The model illus a ed (Figu e 1) is de eloped based on he uni ying SOR ame-
wo k, aligning i s componen s o ep esen he ela ionships among he s udy a iables
(Meh abian,1974). Pe cep ion o digi al ea u es ep esen s he s imuli (S), encompassing
echnological ac o s such as in e ac i i y, in o ma i eness, and accessibili y ha ini ia e
ou is engagemen wi h he i age si es (To abi e al.,2023). Digi al pa icipa ion and in-
e ac ion, as well as au hen ici y o pe cep ion, unc ion as o ganism-le el media o s (O),
cap u ing cogni i e and emo ional esponses (Kim e al.,2020). Digi al pa icipa ion e-
lec s ac i e engagemen wi h digi al ools, while au hen ici y o pe cep ion e alua es he
pe cei ed genuineness o digi al ep esen a ions (Jo & Ahn,2024). These media o s connec
he s imuli o esponse (R) a iables, including ou is sa is ac ion and ecommenda ion in-
en ions (Kesha a z & Jamshidi,2018). Tou is sa is ac ion e lec s he emo ional ul illmen
de i ed om meaning ul digi al expe iences, while ecommenda ion in en ions signi y he
likelihood o p omo ing he si e, indica ing posi i e beha io al ou comes (Kim e al.,2020).
Adm.Sci.2025,15,xFORPEERREVIEW4o 28


byin eg a ingemo ionalandcogni i e esponsesin obeha io alanalysis.Addi ionally,
while heUni iedTheo yo Accep anceandUseo Technology(UTAUT) ocusesonpe -
o manceexpec ancyand acili a ingcondi ionsin echnologyadop ion,i doesno  ully
accoun  o  ou is s’psychologicalandemo ionalengagemen wi hhe i agesi es(Ca -
doso&F aga,2024).TheSOR amewo k,byinco po a ingbo h a ionalandaffec i e
componen s,p o idesamo eholis icunde s andingo howdigi al oolsmedia e isi o 
expe iencesandin luenceau hen ici ype cep ions(Kime al.,2020).Thisdis inc ionjus-
i ies heuseo SORin hiss udy oexamine heimpac o digi al echnologieson isi o 
sa is ac ionandbeha io alin en ionswi hinhe i age ou ismse ings.
Themodelillus a ed(Figu e1)isde elopedbasedon heuni yingSOR amewo k,
aligningi scomponen s o ep esen  he ela ionshipsamong hes udy a iables
(Meh abian,1974).Pe cep iono digi al ea u es ep esen s hes imuli(S),encompassing
echnological ac o ssuchasin e ac i i y,in o ma i eness,andaccessibili y ha ini ia e
ou is engagemen wi hhe i agesi es(To abie al.,2023).Digi alpa icipa ionandin e -
ac ion,aswellasau hen ici yo pe cep ion, unc ionaso ganism-le elmedia o s(O),
cap u ingcogni i eandemo ional esponses(Kime al.,2020).Digi alpa icipa ion e-
lec sac i eengagemen wi hdigi al ools,whileau hen ici yo pe cep ione alua es he
pe cei edgenuinenesso digi al ep esen a ions(Jo&Ahn,2024).Thesemedia o scon-
nec  hes imuli o esponse(R) a iables,including ou is sa is ac ionand ecommenda-
ionin en ions(Kesha a z&Jamshid,2018).Tou is sa is ac ion e lec s heemo ional
ul illmen de i ed ommeaning uldigi alexpe iences,while ecommenda ionin en-
ionssigni y helikelihoodo p omo ing hesi e,indica ingposi i ebeha io alou comes
(Kime al.,2020).

Figu e1.Resea chmodel.Sou ce:au ho ’s esea chda a.
2.3.Resea chModelandHypo heses
TheRoleo Digi alT ans o ma ioninEnhancingTou ismExpe iences.
Expec a ion–Discon i ma ionTheo y(EDT)posi s ha  isi o sa is ac ioneme ges
whenac ualexpe iencesalignwi ho su passp e- isi expec a ions, esul inginposi i e
discon i ma ion(C anme e al.,2023;Y.Lie al.,2024).In hecon ex o he i age ou ism,
digi al oolssuchas i ual eali y(VR)andaugmen ed eali y(AR)cansigni ican lyele-
a e isi o engagemen bydeli e ingimme si e,expec a ion-su passingexpe iences(J.
Yue al.,2024;Khalile al.,2023).These echnologiesen ich he isi o jou neyby
Figu e 1. Resea ch model. Sou ce: au ho ’s esea ch da a.
2.3. Resea ch Model and Hypo heses
The Role o Digi al T ans o ma ion in Enhancing Tou ism Expe iences.
Expec a ion–Discon i ma ion Theo y (EDT) posi s ha isi o sa is ac ion eme ges
when ac ual expe iences align wi h o su pass p e- isi expec a ions, esul ing in posi i e
discon i ma ion (C anme e al.,2023;Y. Li e al.,2024). In he con ex o he i age ou ism,
digi al ools such as i ual eali y (VR) and augmen ed eali y (AR) can signi ican ly ele a e
isi o engagemen by deli e ing imme si e, expec a ion-su passing expe iences (Yu e al.,
2024;Khalil e al.,2023). These echnologies en ich he isi o jou ney by ans o ming
passi e obse a ion in o ac i e pa icipa ion (C anme e al.,2023;Ye sü en & Özel,2024).
“Digi al ea u es” in his s udy encompass echnology-based elemen s like VR/AR
demons a ions, digi al guides, and mobile applica ions, which o e con ex - ich his o ical
and cul u al na a i es (C anme e al.,2023). When isi o s posi i ely pe cei e hese

Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 110 5 o 27
digi al ea u es, hey end o exhibi highe le els o isi o engagemen , cha ac e ized by
deepe in o ma ion p ocessing and emo ional imme sion (Polishchuk e al.,2023). Hence,
he ollowing hypo hesis is p oposed:
H1. Posi i e pe cep ions o digi al ea u es will enhance isi o engagemen .
The Impac o Digi al Engagemen and In e ac i i y on Visi o Sa is ac ion.
The inco po a ion o in e ac i e digi al echnologies—such as mobile apps, digi al
displays, and in e ac i e ouchsc eens—has become i al in enhancing he cul u al he -
i age ou ism expe ience (D. Pa k & Yun,2023). These ools acili a e digi al engage-
men and in e ac i i y by p o iding on-demand, con ex ually ele an in o ma ion, hus
os e ing a mo e meaning ul and pe sonalized isi (C anme e al.,2023;Ch’ng e al.,
2023). Th ough deepe in ol emen wi h in e ac i e ea u es, isi o s gain iche insigh s
in o he si e’s cul u al na a i es, which o en leads o heigh ened isi o sa is ac ion
(Polishchuk e al.,2023).
Addi ionally, when he digi al ea u es hemsel es a e pe cei ed as inno a i e, use ul,
and easy o use, isi o s may ans e hese posi i e pe cep ions on o he c edibili y and
belie abili y o he cul u al con en p esen ed (C anme e al.,2023;Fisu e al.,2024). We
hus p opose wo hypo heses:
H2. Posi i e isi o pe cep ions o digi al ea u es will enhance hei pe cep ion o digi al con-
en au hen ici y.
H3. Digi al engagemen and in e ac i i y will posi i ely in luence isi o sa is ac ion.
The Role o Pe cei ed Au hen ici y in Enhancing Visi o Sa is ac ion.
Au hen ici y is pi o al in cul u al he i age ou ism, shaping isi o s’ emo ional a -
achmen and pe cei ed alue o he i age si es (Buhalis e al.,2023;H. W. Huang e al.,
2023). Cul u al Au hen ici y Theo y holds ha au hen ici y e lec s he genuineness o
expe iences in con eying a si e’s cul u al essence (Yuan & Hong,2023). In he e a o digi al
ans o ma ion, digi al con en au hen ici y signi ies he ex en o which isi o s belie e
ha echnology-based p esen a ions (e.g., VR econs uc ions o AR o e lays) ai h ully
ep esen he cul u al and his o ical backg ound (Nam e al.,2023;B e os e al.,2023).
Recen s udies highligh ha high-quali y, c edible digi al con en can s eng hen isi-
o s’ emo ional engagemen wi h a si e, he eby imp o ing sa is ac ion (Genc & Gule ekin
Genc,2023;Yu e al.,2024). When isi o s pe cei e digi al ep esen a ions o be accu a e
and au hen ic, hey end o o m s onge emo ional bonds and exhibi a heigh ened sense
o connec ion o he he i age con ex (Skinne e al.,2020). Acco dingly, he ollowing
hypo hesis is p oposed:
H4. Posi i e pe cep ions o digi al con en au hen ici y will enhance o e all isi o sa is ac ion.
The Rela ionship Be ween Visi o Sa is ac ion and Recommenda ion In en ions.
Visi o sa is ac ion has long been ecognized as a signi ican p edic o o wo d-o -
mou h and ecommenda ion in en ions wi hin ou ism se ings (S. Li & Jiang,2023). Sa -
is ac ion Theo y asse s ha when expe iences su pass isi o s’ expec a ions, hey a e
mo e inclined o endo se and sha e hem, he eby boos ing he des ina ion’s epu a ion
(Ca alho & Al es,2023). In cul u al he i age ou ism, such posi i e expe iences no
only os e e u n isi s bu also con ibu e o he si e’s b oade cul u al and social appeal
(Bo ges-Tiago e al.,2022).
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 110 6 o 27
Con empo a y esea ch unde sco es he ole o imme si e digi al ools—such as
AR/VR-based in e ac i e exhibi s—in ampli ying isi o sa is ac ion, which, in u n, spu s
isi o s’ willingness o ecommend he si e (Alyahya & McLean,2022;Sia e al.,2023).
Consequen ly, his s udy posi s he ollowing:
H5. Highe o e all isi o sa is ac ion will posi i ely in luence he in en ion o ecommend he
he i age si e.
Syn hesis o Li e a u e Con o e sies, Resea ch Gap, and S udy Con ibu ions.
Despi e g owing in e es in digi al ans o ma ion wi hin he i age ou ism, se e al
con o e sies and gaps pe sis :
1.
Ope a ionalizing Digi al Au hen ici y: P e ious esea ch di e en ia es objec i e e -
sus exis en ial au hen ici y (Ning,2017;Kola & Zabka ,2010), bu ewe s udies
ocus on he pe cei ed au hen ici y o digi ally ende ed con en and i s in luence on
isi o s’ emo ional and cogni i e esponses (C anme e al.,2023).
2.
Engagemen –Sa is ac ion Mechanisms: Al hough isi o engagemen is gene ally
linked o highe sa is ac ion, he p ecise mechanisms—pa icula ly in echnology-
d i en se ings—a e no ully unde s ood. Some schola s a gue ha he no el y
e ec migh o e shadow genuine cul u al engagemen , hus complica ing consis en
sa is ac ion ou comes (Polishchuk e al.,2023;Fisu e al.,2024).
3.
Recommenda ion Beha io and Technology: While imme si e digi al ools a e ecog-
nized as ca alys s o enhancing sa is ac ion, he ex en o which hese expe iences
ansla e in o obus wo d-o -mou h o e isi a ion in en ions emains unclea (Buhalis
e al.,2023). Ques ions linge ega ding how au hen ici y pe cep ions media e o mod-
e a e his p ocess.
Add essing hese issues, he p esen s udy de elops a comp ehensi e model in eg a -
ing digi al ea u es, isi o engagemen , digi al con en au hen ici y, isi o sa is ac ion, and
ecommenda ion in en ions. By examining how posi i e pe cep ions o digi al ools shape
isi o s’ engagemen , au hen ici y app aisals, and subsequen sa is ac ion and ecommen-
da ions, his esea ch aims o (1) o e new insigh s in o he ole o digi al ans o ma ion in
he i age ou ism and (2) p o ide ac ionable s a egies o he i age si e manage s o enhance
digi al expe iences and encou age sus ainable isi o beha io s.
2.4. Syn hesis o Li e a u e Re iew and Resea ch Gaps
Recen s udies highligh he ans o ma i e impac o digi aliza ion on cul u al he -
i age ou ism. Bekele and Champion (2019) demons a ed VR’s ole in enhancing im-
me sion, Pisoni e al. (2021) examined in e ac i e echnologies’ in luence on au hen ici y
pe cep ion, and Kim e al. (2020) alida ed he SOR amewo k in ou is beha io analysis.
While digi al ools signi ican ly enhance isi o sa is ac ion, hei e ec s on au hen ici y
pe cep ion emain deba ed (Pesca in e al.,2024).
Key esea ch gaps pe sis . Fi s , digi al au hen ici y emains unde explo ed, wi h s ud-
ies ocusing on objec i e and exis en ial au hen ici y (Zidianakis e al.,2021) bu o e looking
ou is s’ subjec i e pe cep ions (Kim e al.,2020). Second, he in e ac i i y–sa is ac ion link
lacks cla i y; while in e ac i i y enhances sa is ac ion (H. W. Huang e al.,2023), i s no el y
e ec in echnology-d i en con ex s equi es u he alida ion (Polishchuk e al.,2023).
Thi d, he ole o au hen ici y in ecommenda ion beha io emains ambiguous. While
high-quali y digi al expe iences d i e ecommenda ions (Kesha a z & Jamshidi,2018), he
media ing e ec o au hen ici y pe cep ion is unclea (Yu e al.,2024).
Add essing hese gaps, his s udy examines how digi al ools shape au hen ici y
pe cep ion and isi o sa is ac ion, con ibu ing o sus ainable he i age ou ism s a egies.
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 110 7 o 27
3. Me hodology
This s udy employs a s uc u ed ques ionnai e o collec da a on isi o pe cep ions
o digi al ans o ma ion a Wo ld He i age Si es in Chinese coas al ci ies, ocusing on
key a iables such as pe cep ions o digi al ea u es, digi al pa icipa ion and in e ac ion,
au hen ici y o pe cep ion, ou is sa is ac ion, and ecommenda ion possibili ies (Madzík
e al.,2023;Abbasi e al.,2023;Ra he e al.,2024;Da˘g e al.,2023). Ad anced s a is ical
me hods, including eg ession analysis and s uc u al equa ion modeling (SEM), a e used
o analyze hese da a, e eal ela ionships, and cons uc a comp ehensi e in e ac ion
model (P eko e al.,2023;Balak ishnan e al.,2023).
3.1. Resea ch Design
This s udy adop ed a su ey-based quan i a i e esea ch design o explo e ela ion-
ships among key a iables ela ed o digi al ans o ma ion a Wo ld He i age Si es. This
app oach is widely ecognized o i s abili y o gene a e s anda dized, compa able da a
and o es causal ela ionships using alida ed s a is ical me hods (Q. Huang e al.,2023;
Viglia & Dolnica ,2020).
3.2. Da a Collec ion P ocess
Da a we e collec ed ia an online ques ionnai e dis ibu ed h ough wjx.cn be ween
Decembe 2023 and June 2024, le e aging he pla o m’s p o en eliabili y in cul u al
ou ism s udies (Balak ishnan e al.,2023;Y. Zhang & Szabó,2024). The su ey a ge ed
isi o s a wel e Wo ld He i age Si es ac oss eigh coas al p o inces: Liaoning, Hebei,
Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, and Guangxi. The cul u al he i age
si es include he Impe ial Palace o he Qing Dynas y in Shenyang, he Chengde Moun ain
Reso and Ou lying Temples, he G ea Wall in Hebei, Moun Tai, he Classical Ga dens
o Suzhou in Jiangsu, sec ions o he G and Canal in Jiangsu, he Fujian Tulou, Gulangyu
in Fujian, and he Kaiping Diaolou and Villages in Guangdong. The na u al he i age si es
include he Sou h China Ka s in Guangxi and he Wuyi Moun ains in Fujian. Meanwhile,
he Wes Lake Cul u al Landscape in Hangzhou is classi ied as a mixed he i age si e,
possessing bo h cul u al and na u al alue, exempli ying he mul idimensional appeal o
China’s coas al he i age (R. Zhang,2020;Zhu e al.,2023).
The se en-mon h collec ion pe iod s a egically cap u ed seasonal a ia ions, wi h 58%
o esponses ob ained du ing h ee peak ou ism pe iods (Sp ing Fes i al, May Day Golden
Week, summe aca ions) and 42% du ing o -peak in e als, a empo al s a i ica ion
app oach alida ed by ecen ou ism seasonali y s udies (D. Pa k & Yun,2023;S an che a,
2023). Geo encing echnology es ic ed pa icipa ion o indi iduals wi hin 500 m o
he i age co es du ing ope a ional hou s (8:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.), ollowing e hical p o ocols
o loca ion-based da a collec ion (S ingam e al.,2023). Beha io al e i ica ion h ough si e-
speci ic pho o iden i ica ion ques ions excluded 83% o ina en i e esponses, a echnique
p o en e ec i e in enhancing da a quali y o digi al ou ism esea ch (Fisu e al.,2024;
Sha ma e al.,2023).
F om 2068 ini ial submissions, igo ous alida ion p o ocols excluded esponses wi h
geoloca ion e o s exceeding 500 m (12.7%), inconsis en imes amps (9.3%), o logical
con adic ions (58.9%), yielding 402 alid cases. This 19.43% eligibili y a e aligns wi h
es ablished h esholds o geo- enced ou ism s udies (Madzík e al.,2023). Pos hoc
analysis con i med he alida ion p ocess’s neu ali y: excluded submissions showed
non-signi ican demog aphic di e ences om he inal sample in age ( = 0.87, p= 0.38),
gende (
χ2
= 0.42, p= 0.52), o educa ion le el (Fishe ’s exac p= 0.67), employing s a is ical
me hods ecommended by Kline (2023).
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 110 8 o 27
3.3. Measu emen Ins umen
The s uc u ed ques ionnai e employed i e-poin Like scales o measu e i e
key a iables:
•Pe cep ions o digi al ea u es;
•Digi al pa icipa ion and in e ac ion;
•Au hen ici y o pe cep ion;
•Tou is sa is ac ion;
•Recommenda ion possibili ies.
Each a iable was measu ed using i e i ems (Table 1). These i ems we e de i ed
om alida ed scales in he exis ing li e a u e o ensu e eliabili y and alidi y (Genc
& Gule ekin Genc,2023;Jiang e al.,2023). The ange o he Like scales was om
“s ongly disag ee” o “s ongly ag ee”, allowing o he nuanced unde s anding o isi o
pe cep ions and a i udes. I p o ides speci ic de ails, including he numbe o i ems,
example i ems, and sou ces o each a iable.
Table 1. Measu emen scales.
Va iable Numbe
o I ems Sou ce Example I em
Pe cep ion o Digi al
Fea u es 5 (Zheng & Wu,2023)
Tou ism websi es and apps
p o ide me wi h use ul
in o ma ion abou he a el
des ina ion(s) and he ip.
Digi al Pa icipa ion
and In e ac ion 5(S. Huang & Choi,
2019)
I ho oughly enjoyed exchanging
small alk wi h o he people
du ing his c uise ip.
Au hen ici y o
Pe cep ion 5 (E. Pa k e al.,2019)
I eel ha he he i age si e
ep esen s au hen ic his o ical
and cul u al alues.
Tou is Sa is ac ion 5 (Zeng & Yi Man Li,
2021)
The MKT p ojec mee s ou is s’
expec a ions.
Recommenda ion
Possibili ies 5 (Ali e al.,2018)I am sa is ied wi h my decision
o isi his heme pa k.
Sou ce: au ho ’s esea ch da a.
3.4. Sample and Sampling Me hods
Sample size de e mina ion adop ed conse a i e pa ame e s ollowing Cohen’s con-
en ions o social science esea ch, a ge ing 95% powe o de ec medium-sized e ec s
(
2= 0.15
) in planned mul iple eg ession analyses (Kline,2023;Sü ücü e al.,2023). A p io i
powe analysis (G*Powe 3.1,
α
= 0.05, 1
−β
= 0.95) o 15 p edic o s indica ed a mini-
mum equi emen o 385 esponses, wi h he inal 402 pa icipan s p o iding 96.8% ac ual
powe —exceeding con en ional h esholds in hospi ali y esea ch (Elshae & Ma zouk,
2024). Sensi i i y analysis con i med he capabili y o de ec smalle e ec s (
2
= 0.12) a
90% powe , add essing me hodological conce ns aised in he ecen ou ism li e a u e
(Woosnam & Ribei o,2023).
Geospa ial s a i ica ion alloca ed ques ionnai es p opo ionally o each si e’s 2023
isi a ion olume, a me hodology alida ed in cul u al he i age ou ism s udies (Yi e al.,
2023;Zhou e al.,2023). Alloca ions anged om 28 pa icipan s (5.9%) a Kaiping Diaolou
o 86 (21.3%) a Wes Lake Cul u al Landscape, e lec ing ac ual isi o dis ibu ion pa e ns
documen ed by he Fan (2023). Daily dynamic adjus men s h ough C ip’s eal- ime
isi o low API main ained p opo ionali y wi hin
±
3.2% o a ge alloca ions, adap ing
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 110 15 o 27
4.3. Explo a o y Fac o Analysis
Explo a o y ac o analysis (EFA) was conduc ed o elucida e he la en s uc u e o
he measu emen i ems, con i ming dis inc ac o g oupings and no c oss-loading, as all
ac o loadings in he o a ed componen ma ix exceeded he ecommended h eshold o
0.6 (Table 10). Fi e p ima y ac o s eme ged om he analysis. The i s ac o , “posi i e
impac o digi al ans o ma ion and willingness o ecommend”, includes i ems ela ed o
pe cep ions o digi al ans o ma ion’s ad an ages and he possibili y o ecommending he
expe ience. The second ac o , “digi al pe cep ion”, cap u es esponden s’ assessmen o
he alue and con enience o e ed by digi al ea u es. The hi d ac o , labeled “au hen ici y
and cul u al communica ion”, e lec s i ems ela ed o he au hen ici y and cul u al accu acy
o digi al exhibi s. The ou h ac o , “ isi o sa is ac ion”, encompasses i ems measu ing
sa is ac ion and expec a ions owa d digi al se ices. Las ly, he i h ac o , “digi al in e -
ac ion and engagemen ”, includes i ems indica ing esponden s’ ac i e engagemen wi h
digi al elemen s.
Table 10. Explo a o y ac o analysis.
I em Fac o s
1 2 3 4 5
40. I hink digi al ans o ma ion is
good o he long- e m a ac i eness
o Wo ld He i age Si es
0.805
38. I would ecommend ha Wo ld
He i age Si es con inue hei digi al
de elopmen in he u u e
0.787
39. I would be mo e inclined o isi
again i mo e digi al elemen s we e
added o he Wo ld He i age si e
0.785
41. I would ecommend his
des ina ion o o he s based on he
he i age si e’s digi al se ices
0.781
42. Digi al ans o ma ion enhances
he o e all image o Wo ld
He i age Si es
0.78
21. Digi al expe iences a Wo ld
He i age Si es a e jus as aluable as
adi ional isi s
0.797
22. Digi al se ices ha e made i
easie o isi Wo ld He i age Si es 0.79
20. High quali y o digi ized con en
a Wo ld He i age Si es 0.784
19. Digi al ools ha e inc eased my
in e es in Wo ld He i age Si es 0.777
18. Digi al displays make he his o y
o Wo ld He i age Si es
mo e accessible
0.755
36. I hink he digi ized exhibi s a e
jus as au hen ic as he adi ional
exhibi s a he Wo ld He i age si e
0.789

Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 110 16 o 27
Table 10. Con .
I em Fac o s
1 2 3 4 5
37. Digi al in e ac ions enhanced my
unde s anding o he cul u e o he
Wo ld He i age Si e
0.777
34. I hink he digi al con en
accu a ely con eys he cul u e and
his o y o he Wo ld He i age si e
0.773
33. The digi al expe ience main ains
he au hen ici y and o iginali y o he
Wo ld He i age Si e
0.766
35. Digi al ools do no dis ac me
om he o iginal cha ac e o Wo ld
He i age Si es
0.764
32. I hink digi al se ices add alue
o Wo ld He i age Si es 0.781
28. I am sa is ied wi h he
digi iza ion se ices p o ided by he
Wo ld He i age Si e
0.766
30. I would ecommend o o he s o
use he digi iza ion se ices o he
Wo ld He i age Si e
0.752
29. I hink digi al ans o ma ion has
imp o ed my o e all isi expe ience
0.746
31. The digi al expe ience a he
Wo ld He i age Si e me
my expec a ions
0.73
23. Wo ld He i age Si es o e un
digi al in e ac i e ac i i ies 0.789
25. Digi al Engagemen a Wo ld
He i age Si es Inc eased
My Engagemen
0.789
27. Digi al con en a Wo ld He i age
Si es is ele an o my in e es s 0.746
24. I was able o use he digi al ools
o he Wo ld He i age Si e easily 0.736
26. I app ecia e he i ual eali y
(VR) o augmen ed eali y (AR)
expe iences o e ed by Wo ld
He i age Si es
0.727
Sou ce: au ho ’s esea ch da a.
Mos i ems exhibi ed s ong loadings abo e 0.7 wi hin hei assigned ac o s, unde -
sco ing high in e nal consis ency and obus s uc u al alidi y. These esul s es ablish a
sound ac o s uc u e, o ming a basis o con i ma o y ac o analysis and subsequen
hypo hesis es ing.
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 110 17 o 27
4.4. Valida ion Fac o Analysis
The s uc u al alidi y es esul s (Figu e 4) yielded model i alues o
CMIN/DF = 1.250
,
GFI = 0.937, NFI = 0.941, IFI = 0.988, and RMSEA = 0.025. These indices mee s anda d
h esholds, con i ming ha he ques ionnai e scale has s ong s uc u al alidi y.
Adm.Sci.2025,15,xFORPEERREVIEW17o 28


4.4.Valida ionFac o Analysis
Thes uc u al alidi y es  esul s(Figu e4)yieldedmodel i  alueso CMIN/DF=
1.250,GFI=0.937,NFI=0.941,IFI=0.988,andRMSEA=0.025.Theseindicesmee s and-
a d h esholds,con i ming ha  heques ionnai escalehass ongs uc u al alidi y.

Figu e4.Resul so  alida ed ac o analysiso ques ionnai escales.Sou ce:au ho ’s esea ch
da a.
4.5.Co ela ionAnalysis
Toexamine he ela ionshipsamongco es udy a iables,co ela ionanalysiswas
pe o med,wi hsigni ican co ela ionsa p<0.01ma kedby(**),indica ing obus ness
agains chance(Table11).Resul s e ealse e alkeyassocia ionsalignedwi h hes udy’s
hypo heses.
Table11.Resul so co ela ionanalysis.
Fac o s
Pe cep iono 
Digi alFea u es
a Wo ld
He i ageSi es
Digi al
Pa icipa ion
and
In e ac ion
Tou is 
Sa is ac ion
Au hen ici y
o Pe cep ion
Recommenda ion
Possibili ies
Pe cep iono digi al
ea u esa Wo ld
He i ageSi es
1 
Figu e 4. Resul s o alida ed ac o analysis o ques ionnai e scales. Sou ce: au ho ’s esea ch da a.
4.5. Co ela ion Analysis
To examine he ela ionships among co e s udy a iables, co ela ion analysis was
pe o med, wi h signi ican co ela ions a p< 0.01 ma ked by (**), indica ing obus -
ness agains chance (Table 11). Resul s e eal se e al key associa ions aligned wi h he
s udy’s hypo heses.
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 110 18 o 27
Table 11. Resul s o co ela ion analysis.
Fac o s
Pe cep ion o
Digi al Fea u es a
Wo ld He i age
Si es
Digi al
Pa icipa ion and
In e ac ion
Tou is
Sa is ac ion
Au hen ici y o
Pe cep ion
Recommenda ion
Possibili ies
Pe cep ion o digi al
ea u es a Wo ld
He i age Si es
1
Digi al pa icipa ion
and in e ac ion 0.409 ** 1
Tou is sa is ac ion 0.441 ** 0.432 ** 1
Au hen ici y o
pe cep ion 0.360 ** 0.380 ** 0.434 ** 1
Recommenda ion
possibili ies 0.377 ** 0.382 ** 0.472 ** 0.409 ** 1
Sou ce: au ho ’s esea ch da a.
The pe cep ion o digi al ea u es exhibi s mode a e o s ong posi i e co ela ions
wi h digi al engagemen ( = 0.409), isi o sa is ac ion ( = 0.441), pe cei ed au hen ici y
( = 0.360), and ecommenda ion in en ions ( = 0.377). These ela ionships sugges ha
a o able digi al pe cep ions a e associa ed wi h g ea e engagemen , sa is ac ion, and
pe cei ed au hen ici y, as well as a highe possibili y o ecommending he expe ience.
Digi al engagemen is also posi i ely co ela ed wi h isi o sa is ac ion ( = 0.432),
pe cei ed au hen ici y ( = 0.380), and ecommenda ion in en ions ( = 0.382), suppo ing
hypo heses ha g ea e engagemen enhances sa is ac ion, au hen ici y, and he po en ial
o posi i e ecommenda ions.
Visi o sa is ac ion demons a es s ong posi i e co ela ions wi h bo h pe cei ed au-
hen ici y ( = 0.434) and ecommenda ion in en ions ( = 0.472), he la e being he highes
co ela ion in he analysis. This inding unde sco es sa is ac ion’s cen al ole in in luencing
ecommenda ion beha io s. Fu he mo e, pe cei ed au hen ici y and ecommenda ion
in en ions a e posi i ely co ela ed ( = 0.409), ein o cing he hypo hesis ha au hen ici y
pe cep ions bols e ecommenda ion po en ial.
Collec i ely, hese signi ican posi i e co ela ions suppo he hypo hesized model,
indica ing ha pe cep ions o digi al ea u es, engagemen , au hen ici y, and sa is ac ion
con ibu e subs an ially o ecommenda ion in en ions wi hin he he i age ou ism con ex .
4.6. Linea Reg ession Analysis
To examine he hypo hesized ela ionships among key a iables, a linea eg ession
analysis was conduc ed, ocusing on he e ec s o pe cep ion o digi al ea u es (F), digi al
pa icipa ion (P), ou is sa is ac ion (S), and pe cei ed au hen ici y (A) on ecommenda ion
in en ions (R). The analysis e ealed ha hese ac o s collec i ely explain 30.9% o he a i-
ance in ecommenda ion in en ions, as indica ed by an R-squa ed alue o 0.309 (Table 12).
The model’s signi icance is con i med by an F- alue o 89.849 (p< 0.001), sugges ing ha
pe cep ions o digi al ea u es, engagemen , sa is ac ion, and au hen ici y collec i ely ha e
a meaning ul impac on ecommenda ion likelihood. The model o mula is
R= 0.702 + 0.14F+ 0.151P+ 0.275S+ 0.2A
Each independen a iable demons a ed a signi ican posi i e e ec on ecommen-
da ion in en ions, suppo ing he hypo hesized ela ionships. The pe cep ion o digi al
ea u es yielded a eg ession coe icien o 0.14 ( = 2.684, p< 0.01), indica ing ha a o able
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 110 19 o 27
pe cep ions o digi al cha ac e is ics enhance he likelihood o ecommenda ion. Digi al
pa icipa ion showed a coe icien o 0.151 ( = 2.825, p< 0.01), demons a ing ha inc eased
digi al engagemen posi i ely in luences ecommenda ions. Tou is sa is ac ion, wi h a
coe icien o 0.275 ( = 5.355, p< 0.001), eme ged as a pa icula ly s ong p edic o , a i ming
i s cen al ole in ecommenda ion beha io . Simila ly, pe cei ed au hen ici y exhibi ed a
coe icien o 0.2 ( = 3.969, p< 0.001), con i ming ha au hen ici y pe cep ions con ibu e
signi ican ly o ecommenda ion in en ions.
Table 12. Reg ession analysis.
Dependen
Va iable Independen Va iable
Uns anda dized
Coe icien s Sig Collinea i y S a is ics
B S d. E o Tole ance VIF
Recommenda ion
possibili ies
(Cons an ) 0.702 0.201 3.489 0.001
Pe cep ion o digi al
ea u es a Wo ld
He i age Si es
0.14 0.052 2.684 0.008 0.729 1.372
Digi al pa icipa ion
and in e ac ion 0.151 0.054 2.825 0.005 0.726 1.377
Tou is sa is ac ion 0.275 0.051 5.355 0 0.677 1.476
Au hen ici y o
pe cep ion 0.2 0.05 3.969 0 0.748 1.337
R20.309
F F = 44.333, p= 0.000
Sou ce: au ho ’s esea ch da a.
Model diagnos ics u he con i m obus ness. All VIF alues a e unde 5, indica ing
no mul icollinea i y, and a Du bin–Wa son s a is ic o 2.146 sugges s no au oco ela ion.
These esul s collec i ely suppo he hypo hesized model, highligh ing he impo ance
o digi al ea u es, engagemen , sa is ac ion, and au hen ici y in d i ing ecommenda ion
in en ions wi hin he i age ou ism.
4.7. S uc u al Equa ion Modeling
This s udy u ilized Amos 26.0 o cons uc a s uc u al equa ion model (SEM) ha
in es iga es he in luence pa hways among pe cep ion o digi al ea u es, digi al pa ici-
pa ion, isi o sa is ac ion, pe cei ed au hen ici y, and ecommenda ion in en ions wi hin
digi ally ans o med Wo ld He i age Si es in Chinese coas al ci ies. Obse ed a iables
we e included o examine pa h coe icien s and weigh ings ele an o ecommenda ion
in en ions, and he esul s a e illus a ed in Figu e 5.
The model demons a ed a s ong i wi h he da a, as indica ed by he i indices:
χ2/d = 1.452
, GFI = 0.927, AGFI = 0.912, CFI = 0.977, RMSEA = 0.034, TLI = 0.975,
IFI = 0.977
, and NFI = 0.931 (Table 13). These alues mee he s anda d h esholds, a -
i ming he model’s sui abili y o examining he speci ied hypo heses.
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 110 20 o 27
Adm.Sci.2025,15,xFORPEERREVIEW20o 28


Tou is sa is ac ion<---
Digi al
pa icipa ion
andin e ac ion
0.3070.074.53***H3Accep 
Tou is sa is ac ion<---Au hen ici yo 
pe cep ion0.3050.065.41***H4Accep 
Recommenda ion
possibili ies<---Tou is 
sa is ac ion0.5320.069.57***H5Accep 
***.A  he0.001le el,signi ican co ela ion.Sou ce:au ho ’s esea chda a.

Figu e5.S uc u alequa ionmodelingo  ac o saffec ing he ecommenda ionp obabili y.Sou ce:
au ho ’s esea chda a.
Eachpa hes ima e ep esen s hes eng ho in luencebe ween a iables,wi h he
s anda de o (S.E.) e lec ing hep ecisiono  hesees ima es;lowe S.E. aluessugges 
highe  eliabili y.Thec i ical a io(C.R.),ob ainedbydi iding hees ima ebyS.E., es s
hesigni icanceo each ela ionship,whe ep- aluesbelow0.05indica es a is icalsigni -
icance.
Resul s o hypo hesis es ingindica e he ollowing ela ionships:
H1. Pe cep iono digi al ea u esexe sasigni ican posi i ein luenceondigi alpa icipa ion
(pa hcoefficien =0.466,C.R.=7.853,p<0.001),suppo ing hehypo hesis ha enhanced
pe cep ionso digi al ea u es acili a eg ea e engagemen .
H2. Pe cep iono digi al ea u esposi i elyimpac spe cei edau hen ici y(pa hcoefficien =
0.471,C.R.=7.205,p<0.001),con i ming ha  a o abledigi alpe cep ions ein o cepe -
cep ionso cul u alau hen ici y.
H3. Digi alpa icipa ionhasasigni ican posi i eeffec on isi o sa is ac ion(pa hcoefficien =
0.307,C.R.=4.525,p<0.001),indica ing ha ac i eengagemen wi hdigi al ea u esen-
hances isi o sa is ac ion.
Figu e 5. S uc u al equa ion modeling o ac o s a ec ing he ecommenda ion p obabili y. Sou ce:
au ho ’s esea ch da a.
Table 13. Pa h coe icien s be ween a iables.
Va iable
Rela ion
Va iable Es ima e S.E. C.R. pHypo heses No.
Hypo heses
Digi al
pa icipa ion
and in e ac ion
<---
Pe cep ion o digi al
ea u es a Wo ld
He i age si es
0.466 0.06 7.85 *** H1 Accep
Au hen ici y o
pe cep ion <---
Pe cep ion o digi al
ea u es a Wo ld
He i age si es
0.471 0.07 7.21 *** H2 Accep
Tou is
sa is ac ion <--- Digi al pa icipa ion
and in e ac ion 0.307 0.07 4.53 *** H3 Accep
Tou is
sa is ac ion <--- Au hen ici y o
pe cep ion 0.305 0.06 5.41 *** H4 Accep
Recommenda ion
possibili ies <--- Tou is sa is ac ion 0.532 0.06 9.57 *** H5 Accep
***. A he 0.001 le el, signi ican co ela ion. Sou ce: au ho ’s esea ch da a.
Each pa h es ima e ep esen s he s eng h o in luence be ween a iables, wi h he
s anda d e o (S.E.) e lec ing he p ecision o hese es ima es; lowe S.E. alues sugges
highe eliabili y. The c i ical a io (C.R.), ob ained by di iding he es ima e by S.E., es s he
signi icance o each ela ionship, whe e p- alues below 0.05 indica e s a is ical signi icance.
Resul s o hypo hesis es ing indica e he ollowing ela ionships:
H1.
Pe cep ion o digi al ea u es exe s a signi ican posi i e in luence on digi al pa icipa ion
(pa h coe icien = 0.466, C.R. = 7.853, p < 0.001), suppo ing he hypo hesis ha enhanced
pe cep ions o digi al ea u es acili a e g ea e engagemen .
H2. Pe cep ion o digi al ea u es posi i ely impac s pe cei ed au hen ici y (pa h coe icien = 0.471,
C.R. = 7.205, p < 0.001), con i ming ha a o able digi al pe cep ions ein o ce pe cep ions o
cul u al au hen ici y.

Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 110 21 o 27
H3. Digi al pa icipa ion has a signi ican posi i e e ec on isi o sa is ac ion (pa h
coe icien = 0.307
,
C.R. = 4.525, p < 0.001), indica ing ha ac i e engagemen wi h digi al ea u es enhances
isi o sa is ac ion.
H4.
Pe cei ed au hen ici y signi ican ly in luences isi o sa is ac ion (pa h coe icien = 0.305,
C.R. = 5.411, p < 0.001), suppo ing he ole o au hen ici y pe cep ions in enhancing sa is ac-
ion le els.
H5. Visi o sa is ac ions ongly p edic s ecommenda ionin en ions (pa hcoe icien = 0.532,
C.R. = 9.568
,
p < 0.001), alida ing sa is ac ion as a c ucial de e minan o ecommenda ion likelihood.
In conclusion, all hypo hesized pa hways we e suppo ed, es ablishing ha he pe -
cep ion o digi al ea u es con ibu es o engagemen , au hen ici y, and sa is ac ion, which
subsequen ly d i e ecommenda ion in en ions. These esul s emphasize ha enhancing
digi al ea u es a he i age si es os e s sa is ac ion and loyal y, p omo ing wo d-o -mou h
ecommenda ions and u he engagemen .
5. Discussion
Digi al ans o ma ion signi ican ly impac s isi o sa is ac ion and ecommenda ion
possibili y a Wo ld He i age Si es. This s udy’s model highligh s bo h di ec and indi ec
e ec s o digi al ea u e pe cep ions, engagemen , and pe cei ed au hen ici y on isi o
ou comes, unde sco ing he c i ical ole o high-quali y digi al con en in shaping posi i e
expe iences. Findings s ess he need o s a egic digi al ool op imiza ion and ongoing
inno a ion o enhance ope a ional e iciency and suppo sus ainable ou ism de elopmen .
The s udy also p o ides a obus heo e ical ounda ion o u u e esea ch, encou aging
explo a ion in o digi al ans o ma ion’s a ied impac s ac oss cul u al and global con ex s
in ou ism.
5.1. The Impac o Digi al Fea u e Pe cep ion on Digi al Pa icipa ion
This s udy con i ms ha posi i e pe cep ions o digi al ea u es signi ican ly enhance
digi al pa icipa ion, as e idenced by H1. Visi o s engage mo e ac i ely wi h he i age con-
en when digi al ools a e in ui i e, imme si e, and use - iendly. This inding unde sco es
he ans o ma i e ole o digi al ools in b idging he i age ou ism wi h he expec a ions
o mode n, ech-sa y isi o s (S. Chen e al.,2024;Nam e al.,2023). Compa ed o p e i-
ous s udies ha emphasized he unc ionali y o digi al ools, his esea ch highligh s he
impo ance o use pe cep ions in os e ing deepe engagemen .
By ex ending Expec a ion–Discon i ma ion Theo y (EDT), his s udy shi s he ocus
om sa is ac ion as an ou come o engagemen as a p ecu so , p o iding a mo e dynamic
pe spec i e on isi o in e ac ions (C anme e al.,2023;Y. Zhang & Szabó,2024). This
heo e ical ad ancemen is pa icula ly ele an in non-Wes e n cul u al con ex s, such as
Chinese he i age si es, whe e digi al ans o ma ion has dis inc socio-cul u al implica ions
compa ed o Wes e n models.
To maximize engagemen , he i age manage s should in es in in e ac i e echnologies,
such as AR-enabled on-si e ou s o gami ied apps ha me ge cul u al na a i es wi h
isi o pa icipa ion. Fo example, he Palace Museum in Beijing success ully in eg a es
AR-enhanced expe iences, allowing isi o s o in e ac wi h his o ical a i ac s digi ally,
deepening engagemen . Policymake s can p io i ize digi al in as uc u e de elopmen
in unde unded egions h ough g an s o ax incen i es, ensu ing ha he i age si es in
u al a eas can compe e wi h u ban a ac ions in o e ing ad anced digi al expe iences
(Polishchuk e al.,2023;Genc & Gule ekin Genc,2023).
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 110 22 o 27
5.2. The In luence o Digi al Fea u e Pe cep ion on Pe cei ed Au hen ici y
The indings con i m ha posi i e pe cep ions o digi al ea u es signi ican ly enhance
pe cei ed au hen ici y, alida ing H2. Visi o s iew he i age expe iences as mo e cul u ally
au hen ic when digi al ools deli e accu a e, con ex -sensi i e, and imme si e na a i es
(Nam e al.,2023;Yuan & Hong,2023). This dual ole o digi al ools—as media o s
o engagemen and au hen ici y—unde sco es hei impo ance in shaping meaning ul
isi o expe iences.
This s udy en iches Cul u al Au hen ici y Theo y by demons a ing ha au hen ici y
is no a ixed a ibu e bu a dynamic pe cep ion shaped h ough in e ac ions wi h digi al
ools. By ocusing on Chinese he i age si es, he esea ch highligh s how digi al ools can
s eng hen cul u al na a i es, challenging he assump ion ha digi aliza ion unde mines
cul u al au hen ici y. In non-Wes e n con ex s, digi al ep esen a ions o he i age o en
ca y deepe cul u al and emo ional meanings, making accu acy and con ex e en mo e
c i ical (Y. Zhang & Szabó,2024;C anme e al.,2023).
He i age manage s should collabo a e wi h cul u al his o ians and an h opologis s o
design digi al con en ha accu a ely e lec s his o ical and cul u al con ex s. Fo example,
he Mogao Ca es in Dunhuang ha e success ully implemen ed high- esolu ion digi al
p ojec ions and in e ac i e AR expe iences, allowing isi o s o explo e agile ca e mu als
while p ese ing he o iginal a i ac s. Such ini ia i es enhance au hen ici y pe cep ions
while deepening cul u al unde s anding (Quang e al.,2024;Polishchuk e al.,2023). Poli-
cymake s should es ablish e alua ion s anda ds o cul u al au hen ici y in digi al ools o
p e en comme cialized mis ep esen a ions o he i age.
5.3. The Rela ionship Be ween Digi al Pa icipa ion and Visi o Sa is ac ion
Digi al pa icipa ion signi ican ly enhances isi o sa is ac ion, as demons a ed by
H3. Ac i e in e ac ion wi h digi al ools os e s emo ional and cogni i e connec ions, ans-
o ming passi e consump ion in o a dynamic, pa icipa o y expe ience (Y. Zhang & Szabó,
2024;Yu e al.,2024). This inding aligns wi h g owing ends in he i age ou ism, whe e
isi o s inc easingly seek meaning ul engagemen a he han su ace-le el obse a ion.
By in eg a ing pa icipa ion in o he EDT amewo k, his s udy expands i s scope,
emphasizing ha engagemen is no me ely a p ecu so o sa is ac ion bu a ans o ma i e
p ocess ha ede ines he isi o expe ience (Nam e al.,2023;Skinne e al.,2020). These
insigh s p o ide a ounda ion o u he esea ch in o how engagemen shapes long- e m
sa is ac ion and loyal y beha io s.
He i age manage s should c ea e pa icipa o y expe iences ha ac i ely in ol e isi-
o s, such as imme si e VR s o y elling ha allows use s o “expe ience” his o ical e en s o
AR-based sca enge hun s ha encou age explo a ion. The Lou e Museum’s AR easu e
hun s exempli y his app oach, o e ing isi o s an in e ac i e and educa ional jou ney
h ough he museum. Digi al li e acy ini ia i es unded by policymake s could ensu e ha
di e se demog aphics, including olde isi o s, can e ec i ely engage wi h hese ools,
enhancing inclusi i y in he i age ou ism (Elshae & Ma zouk,2024;Buhalis e al.,2023).
5.4. The Role o Pe cei ed Au hen ici y in Enhancing Visi o Sa is ac ion
Pe cei ed au hen ici y plays a pi o al ole in enhancing isi o sa is ac ion, alida ing
H4. Visi o s a e mo e likely o epo posi i e expe iences when digi al con en aligns wi h
cul u al expec a ions and e lec s emo ional and his o ical accu acy (Buhalis e al.,2023;
Nam e al.,2023). Au hen ici y hus eme ges as a c i ical ac o in deepening emo ional
connec ions wi h he i age si es.
This s udy ad ances Cul u al Au hen ici y Theo y by posi ioning au hen ici y as a
media o be ween engagemen and sa is ac ion. By illus a ing he e ol ing na u e o
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 110 23 o 27
au hen ici y in digi ally media ed he i age con ex s, he esea ch p o ides a amewo k
o unde s anding how digi al ools ede ine cul u al na a i es and isi o pe cep ions
(Rod igues e al.,2023;Khalil e al.,2023).
He i age manage s mus p io i ize cul u ally sensi i e digi al ools ha align wi h he
his o ical na a i es o hei si es. Fo example, he B i ish Museum’s in e ac i e digi al
econs uc ions o ancien Mesopo amian a i ac s allow isi o s o explo e his o ical na a-
i es while p ese ing au hen ici y. T aining p og ams o de elope s should emphasize
cul u al sensi i i y and his o ical accu acy o ensu e digi al con en enhances, a he han
dis o s, au hen ici y (u Rehman e al.,2024;Y. Li e al.,2024).
5.5. The E ec o Visi o Sa is ac ion on Recommenda ion In en ions
Visi o sa is ac ion s ongly p edic s ecommenda ion in en ions, as e idenced by
H5. Sa is ied isi o s a e mo e likely o ecommend he i age si es, ampli ying posi i e
wo d-o -mou h e ec s and enhancing he si e’s epu a ion (Z. Chen e al.,2024;Y. Zhang &
Szabó,2024). This inding ein o ces he impo ance o c ea ing seamless, in eg a ed isi o
expe iences ha combine digi al and physical in e ac ions.
By linking sa is ac ion o ecommenda ion beha io s, his s udy ex ends sa is ac ion–
loyal y amewo ks o he i age ou ism, emphasizing he ole o echnology in os e ing ad-
ocacy beha io s. Fu u e esea ch could explo e how pos - isi digi al
engagemen —such
as pe sonalized ollow-ups o i ual membe ships—sus ains long- e m loyal y (Nam e al.,
2023;Yu e al.,2024).
He i age manage s should implemen pos - isi s a egies o main ain isi o sa is ac-
ion and ad ocacy. Pe sonalized ollow-ups, such as digi al keepsakes o a ge ed con en
ecommenda ions, can s eng hen isi o connec ions. Fo example, he Smi hsonian In-
s i u ion engages isi o s pos - isi h ough cus omized digi al a chi es and in e ac i e
lea ning modules, ex ending engagemen beyond he physical isi (Jiang e al.,2023;C an-
me e al.,2023). Policymake s should in eg a e sa is ac ion me ics in o e alua ions o
he i age ou ism ini ia i es, ensu ing hey e lec bo h sho - e m and long- e m impac s
(Elshae & Ma zouk,2024;Ye sü en & Özel,2024).
5.6. Fu u e Di ec ions and B oade Implica ions
This s udy aises c i ical ques ions abou balancing echnological inno a ion wi h
cul u al p ese a ion. An o e emphasis on digi aliza ion isks commodi ying he i age,
while insu icien adop ion may ail o a ac younge audiences. Policymake s and
manage s mus s ike a balance, ensu ing ha digi al ools enhance, a he han o e shadow,
he cul u al and his o ical alue o he i age si es.
Eme ging echnologies such as AI and he me a e se o e new possibili ies o he -
i age ou ism. Fo ins ance, AI-d i en pe sonaliza ion could ailo cul u al na a i es o
indi idual p e e ences, c ea ing deeply engaging and emo ionally esonan expe iences.
The me a e se could democ a ize access o cul u al he i age by i ually ec ea ing en-
dange ed o inaccessible si es. Howe e , hese inno a ions also pose e hical challenges,
including cul u al owne ship, ep esen a ion, and da a p i acy. Fu u e esea ch should
c i ically e alua e hese echnologies o ensu e ha hei adop ion aligns wi h p inciples o
inclusi i y and cul u al sensi i i y.
6. Conclusions
This s udy highligh s he ans o ma i e ole o digi al engagemen in enhancing isi-
o sa is ac ion and ecommenda ion in en ions a Wo ld He i age Si es in Chinese coas al
ci ies. By alida ing he impo ance o pe cei ed au hen ici y, digi al pa icipa ion, and sa -
is ac ion, he indings ex end Cul u al Au hen ici y Theo y and sa is ac ion–loyal y ame-
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 110 24 o 27
wo ks in o he con ex o digi ally media ed he i age ou ism. These insigh s emphasize he
po en ial o digi al ools, such as VR and AR, o c ea e engaging and cul u ally meaning ul
expe iences ha b idge adi ional na a i es wi h mode n echnological expec a ions.
F om a p ac ical pe spec i e, he i age manage s should p io i ize he adop ion o
cul u ally sensi i e, in e ac i e digi al ools ha align wi h he his o ical and cul u al
con ex s o hei si es. Collabo a ions wi h cul u al expe s and i e a i e isi o eedback
can ensu e au hen ici y and enhance isi o loyal y. Policymake s, on he o he hand, can
suppo hese e o s h ough unding ini ia i es and digi al in as uc u e de elopmen ,
especially o unde unded u al he i age si es. An example o success ul implemen a ion
can be seen in si es like he Dunhuang Mogao Ca es, whe e digi al p ojec ions and VR
ou s ha e e ec i ely p ese ed cul u al na a i es while engaging mode n audiences.
Fu u e esea ch could explo e he longi udinal impac o digi al engagemen on isi o
beha io s, including epea isi s and sus ained ad ocacy. Addi ionally, me hodological
app oaches such as mixed-me hod s udies o expe imen al designs could p o ide deepe
insigh s in o he causal ela ionships be ween digi al engagemen and isi o ou comes.
Eme ging echnologies such as AI and he me a e se p esen oppo uni ies o deepen
engagemen while aising c i ical ques ions abou cul u al ep esen a ion and e hical adop-
ion. Add essing hese challenges will be pi o al o ensu ing he sus ainable in eg a ion o
digi al ools in he i age ou ism.
Au ho Con ibu ions: Concep ualiza ion, Y.Z. and Z.S.; me hodology, Y.Z. and Z.S.; so wa e, Y.Z.;
alida ion, Y.Z., Á.P.-V. and Z.S.; o mal analysis, Y.Z., Á.P.-V. and Z.S.; in es iga ion, Y.Z., Á.P.-V. and
Z.S.; esou ces, Y.Z. and Z.S.; da a cu a ion, Y.Z.; w i ing—o iginal d a p epa a ion, Y.Z., Á.P.-V. and
Z.S.; w i ing— e iew and edi ing, Y.Z., Á.P.-V. and Z.S.; isualiza ion, Y.Z.; supe ision, Y.Z., Á.P.-V.
and Z.S.; p ojec adminis a ion, Y.Z. and Z.S.; unding acquisi ion, Y.Z., Á.P.-V. and Z.S. All au ho s
ha e ead and ag eed o he published e sion o he manusc ip .
Funding: This a icle was suppo ed by he RRF-2.1.2-21-2022-00011 p ojec , inanced by he Go e n-
men o Hunga y wi hin he amewo k o he Reco e y and Resilience Facili y.
Ins i u ional Re iew Boa d S a emen : No applicable.
In o med Consen S a emen : No applicable.
Da a A ailabili y S a emen : The da ase s gene a ed and analyzed du ing his s udy con ain sensi i e
use in o ma ion, including IP add esses ha may di ec ly o indi ec ly iden i y indi iduals unde
applicable da a p o ec ion laws (e.g., GDPR A icle 4(1), China’s PIPL A icle 4). To comply wi h
legal obliga ions and e hical commi men s o pa icipan s, hese da a a e no publicly a ailable.
De-iden i ied subse s may be p o ided upon easonable eques o he co esponding au ho , subjec
o a signed da a use ag eemen and app o al by ou ins i u ional e hics e iew boa d.
Con lic s o In e es : The au ho s decla e no con lic o in e es .
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