Short answer

Prioritize content and user onboarding that actively builds or highlights the user's connection to the heritage, as this will significantly boost engagement and satisfaction with VR heritage experiences.

Field: Innovation & Markets
Source: Current Issues in Tourism (2025)
Method: Quantitative survey analysis
Sample: 291 participants
Evidence: Strong effect

The perceived closeness of cultural heritage to users significantly enhances their immersive experience, satisfaction, and intention to continue using virtual reality (VR) heritage applications. This innovation & markets research insight is drawn from a 2025 study published in Current Issues in Tourism. Using Quantitative survey analysis with 291 participants, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Prioritize content and user onboarding that actively builds or highlights the user's connection to the heritage, as this will significantly boost engagement and satisfaction with VR heritage experiences.

Study

Innovation & MarketsNew This WeekStrong effect

Proximity Amplifies VR Heritage Engagement and Satisfaction

The perceived closeness of cultural heritage to users significantly enhances their immersive experience, satisfaction, and intention to continue using virtual reality (VR) heritage applications.

Current Issues in Tourism · 2025

Key Findings

01VR-based information systems positively impact heritage immersive experience (immersion and sense of presence).
02Geographical, social, and cognitive proximity act as moderators, enhancing the effects of VR on immersion, presence, satisfaction, and continuance intention.
03Improved user satisfaction and continuance intention are driven by the enhanced immersive experience facilitated by proximity.

Application

Design takeaway

How to apply

When developing a VR heritage experience, consider how to make the heritage feel more accessible and relevant to the user's life, perhaps through personalized narratives or by connecting it to familiar concepts.

Project actions

01When designing a VR experience, think about who your audience is and what they already know or care about regarding the subject.
02Consider how you can make the VR content feel more personal or relevant to the user's own experiences or background.

Method & Evidence

AimHow do geographical, social, and cognitive proximity influence the effectiveness of VR-based information systems on user immersion, sense of presence, satisfaction, and continuance intention in cultural heritage experiences?

MethodQuantitative survey analysis

ProcedureA conceptual framework was tested by collecting data from 291 participants via a Facebook survey. The data were analyzed using R to examine the hypothesized relationships between VR experience quality, immersion, presence, satisfaction, continuance intention, and the moderating effects of geographical, social, and cognitive proximity.

Sample291 participants

ContextVirtual reality heritage experiences and tourism

Variables

IV["Quality of VR experience (information quality, system quality)","VR-based information systems"]

DV["Immersion","Sense of presence","User satisfaction","Continuance intention"]

CV["Type of cultural heritage","Specific VR platform/technology used"]

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Investigates a novel moderating role of proximity in VR heritage.
+Provides a comprehensive framework linking VR experience to user outcomes.

Limitations

The findings might not apply to users with no prior interest in cultural heritage or to VR experiences that are purely abstract and not tied to specific historical sites.

Reliability & validity

The use of statistical analysis (R) to test hypotheses contributes to the study's reliability. Validity is supported by the conceptual framework and the examination of multiple related constructs (immersion, presence, satisfaction, intention).

Think critically

To what extent can VR technology truly bridge the 'distance' between the user and heritage, or does it primarily amplify existing connections?

Design Principles

"Design for perceived relevance: Enhance user engagement by emphasizing and leveraging the user's existing or potential connection to the subject matter."

Understanding the moderating role of proximity is crucial for developing effective VR heritage experiences. Designers and marketers can leverage this insight to tailor content and delivery strategies, ensuring greater user engagement and commercial viability for digital heritage products.

What This Means for Your Design

If people feel like they know or are connected to a historical place, they'll enjoy VR tours of it more and want to do them again.

How to use in your project

1.Reference this study when discussing how user background and perceived relevance can impact the effectiveness of digital design solutions, particularly in immersive technologies.

Add to My Project

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

This research highlights the critical role of user proximity in enhancing virtual reality heritage experiences. Findings indicate that geographical, social, and cognitive closeness significantly moderates the impact of VR systems, leading to greater immersion, presence, user satisfaction, and a higher likelihood of continued engagement. This suggests that design efforts should focus not only on the technical quality of the VR but also on establishing and emphasizing the user's connection to the heritage content to maximize its effectiveness and appeal.

Source

Current Issues in Tourism

Close to digital heritage? Proximity moderator effects in virtual reality heritage experience

journal · 2025

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about proximity amplifies vr heritage engagement and satisfaction?: Prioritize content and user onboarding that actively builds or highlights the user's connection to the heritage, as this will significantly boost engagement and satisfaction with VR heritage experiences. Evidence: Current Issues in Tourism (2025).
Why does "Proximity Amplifies VR Heritage Engagement and Satisfaction" matter for design?: Understanding the moderating role of proximity is crucial for developing effective VR heritage experiences. Designers and marketers can leverage this insight to tailor content and delivery strategies, ensuring greater user engagement and commercial viability for digital heritage products.
How can designers apply this research?: Prioritize content and user onboarding that actively builds or highlights the user's connection to the heritage, as this will significantly boost engagement and satisfaction with VR heritage experiences.
What were the main findings?: VR-based information systems positively impact heritage immersive experience (immersion and sense of presence).. Geographical, social, and cognitive proximity act as moderators, enhancing the effects of VR on immersion, presence, satisfaction, and continuance intention.. Improved user satisfaction and continuance intention are driven by the enhanced immersive experience facilitated by proximity.
What research method was used?: Quantitative survey analysis with 291 participants.
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2025 journal from Current Issues in Tourism.
What should I do differently in my next project?: When developing a VR heritage experience, consider how to make the heritage feel more accessible and relevant to the user's life, perhaps through personalized narratives or by connecting it to familiar concepts.
What are the limitations?: The study relies on self-reported data and a specific online survey distribution method, which may introduce biases. The generalizability to all types of cultural heritage and VR platforms may also be limited.