Cultural tourism at Wat Pha Lat, Chiang Mai province, through augmented Reality
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Abstract
The new normal in tourism following the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in cultural tourism, has embraced Augmented Reality (AR) technology to allow tourists to access cultural information through 3D animations and interact via mobile devices. This innovation makes information modern, engaging, and creates compelling experiences for contemporary travelers while promoting the preservation of Thailand’s cultural heritage. This study explores the development of AR technology to enhance cultural tourism at Wat Pha Lat, Chiang Mai province. The objective is to develop an AR filter on the Instagram platform to present historical and architectural information of Wat Pha Lat in an engaging manner, focusing on 3D content design. This enables users to explore and learn about significant landmarks within the temple ground, including Hor Phra Chao at the Waterfall, the Holy Well, the Viharn, and the Chedi, which are officially registered as cultural heritage sites by the Fine Arts Department of Thailand. The findings reveal that the generation Y (born between 1980-1997) expressed high satisfaction with their experience using the AR filter of Wat Pha Lat. Their satisfaction with both the User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) averaged 4.19 out of 5 total. Furthermore, a comparison of pre- and post-filter usage assessments demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in users’ knowledge of Wat Pha Lat’s architecture at a 95% confidence level. The study further revealed a significant correlation between user experience (UX) and the preference for animation in the Viharn and Hor Phra Chao at the Waterfall. Moreover, the clarity of text in the user interface (UI) was significantly associated with users’ perception of the animation These findings suggest that augmented reality (AR) technology in the form of Instagram filters, holds strong potential to enhance cultural tourism experiences and serve as an effective tool for embedding cultural knowledge about Wat Pha Lat.
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