CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AND FUTURE RESEARCH DIRECTIONS FOR A WEB-BASED AUGMENTED REALITY FOR SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/JTHEM.1143016Keywords:
Augmented Reality, Cultural Heritage, Quality Education, Governance, PRISMA-ScR, Sustainable Tourism, WebArAbstract
This paper is a systematic review of the new role of Web-Based Augmented Reality (WebAR) in the promotion of sustainable tourism with particular focus on the educational and environmental value that it adds. The review is conducted using a scoping methodology in line with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines to make the review transparent and methodologically rigorous. The search was conducted in academic databases (Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar) on the keywords WebAR, augmented reality, sustainable tourism, heritage management, and digital learning. It screened 52 articles published since 2012, 26 of which passed through the inclusion criteria in thematic synthesis. The review presents three clusters of dominant research, namely: (i) WebAR as a cultural heritage preservation and environmental protection, (ii) educational and behavioural effects of immersive technologies, and (iii) governance and policy mechanisms to facilitate sustainable adoption. Although the adoption of digital data is fast in Southeast Asian studies, comparative data in Europe and the Middle East shows that there are advanced integration with cloud learning, artificial intelligence, and open-access education platforms. Based on the synthesis, it is proposed to create a conceptual framework that would connect WebAR applications to sustainability results in the environmental, social, and economic aspects. The paper ends by offering recommendations on how the study can be empirically tested, work with other parts of the global community, and more closely aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically SDG 4 on quality education and SDG 11 on sustainable cities and communities.
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