Value of Augmented Reality to enhance the Visitor Experience: A Case study of Manchester Jewish Museum

There is an increase in Augmented Reality (AR) adoption in the tourism sector and increasingly visitor attractions, museums and art galleries start to use AR for the enhancement of the visitor experience. However, smaller organisations often fear high investments without the proof of concept due to risks of failures. Therefore, the present study uses a small museum in Manchester to investigate the value of AR for different target markets, visitors and the museum itself. Internal and external data collection was conducted using focus groups with eight museum visitors and ten interviews with museum staff as well as teachers. Findings show that AR is considered the way to move forward to preserve history, enhance visitor satisfaction, generate positive word-of-mouth, attract new target markets as well as contribute to a positive learning experience.