The Macao Institute for Tourism Studies’ (IFTM) Hotel Management bachelor degree students recently conducted research on the effectiveness of smart tourism technologies at the Ruins of St. Paul through the Cultural Affairs Bureau’s (IC) virtual reality (VR) exhibition “Visiting the Ruins of St. Paul’s in Space and Time”, an IFTM statement said yesterday.
Guided by Assistant Professor Fernando Lourenço, the students explored visitor attitudes towards VR/augmented reality (AR)/3D technology, and the opinions of those who had experienced the exhibition, the statement noted.
The statement said that 91 tourists were invited for an in-depth interview, with 60 of them having visited the exhibition. Most of the tourists who visited the exhibition gave it “positive ratings” as it “enhanced their understanding of the history of the tourist attraction [Ruins of St Paul’s], added entertainment value to their experience, while the VR experience was the most enjoyable factor”.
For those who did not visit the exhibition, their “major reasons” were the exhibition’s admission fee, a lack of interest in VR, or a lack of awareness of the exhibition, according to the statement.
The study showed “the benefits of incorporating smart tourism technology to enhance the presentation of the cultural heritage sites and the overall tourist experience through innovative methods to obtain information about Macau’s cultural heritage sites and their history in a gamified way”.
Gamification is the use of gameplay mechanics for non-game applications, according to Wiktionary.
This undated handout photo provided by the Macao Institute for Tourism Studies (IFTM) shows students taking part in the “Visiting the Ruins of St. Paul’s in Space and Time” exhibition.
