Innovating the cultural heritage museum service model through virtual reality and augmented reality: the effects on the overall visitor experience and satisfaction

Although museum visitor experience and satisfaction have received growing attention in academic research, the impact of new elements of the museum service model, including AR and VR, on visitor experience and satisfaction remains an unexplored area of investigation. This paper aims to fill this gap in the literature by investigating how the innovation of museum service aspects (exhibition content, VR and AR, general organization and reception staff) can enhance visitor experiences and satisfaction opening spaces for innovating museum service models. A quantitative survey methodology combining correlation analysis, Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA), descriptive statistics, and cluster analysis was conducted on a random sample of 739 museum visitors experiencing ‘The Ara It Was’ project at the Pacis Museum in Rome. Discussion and conclusions contribute to the debate on the disruptive power of AR and VR and its impact on service model innovation for cultural heritage museums. The paper proposes theoretical advances, has managerial implications for future improvements in museum management, and opens rooms for Museum 4.0 academic debate.