Engagement Guidelines for Cultural Tourism Mobile Applications

Abstract

Cultural tourism is an essential sector for ensuring the preservation of cultural heritage. Although there is a stigma that learning about culture is bland experience, the growth of digital games in this context proves the opposite. Digital games can enhance visitor engagement and foster heritage preservation by integrating game, narrative, and creativity elements into the touristic experience. This study aims to provide guidelines for developing mobile applications that enrich visitor experiences and promote cultural heritage learning. To achieve this, an online questionnaire was conducted to understand potential users' preferences regarding game, narrative, and creativity elements. The results indicated that historical narratives, missions and treasure hunts, and personalized walking routes and gastronomic recreation are the most engaging elements.