Heritage interpretation practices often remain technologically static and insufficiently inclusive, limiting meaningful engagement for diverse visitor groups. A key challenge is how cultural heritage can be interpreted in ways that are accessible to individuals with learning difficulties while simultaneously enriching the experience of contemporary tourists seeking interactive and immersive encounters. On Corfu Island, a UNESCO World Heritage site characterized by layered historical and cultural influences, traditional forms of heritage communication frequently fail to address the needs of heterogeneous audiences and diverse learning profiles. This study investigates how principles of inclusive design and immersive technologies can be applied to enhance the interpretation of cultural heritage within tourism contexts. More specifically, it examines how an Augmented Reality (AR) museum kit originally developed to support bilingual students with learning difficulties can be adapted to facilitate heritage understanding and engagement among visitors.
The research seeks to demonstrate that accessibility-driven educational tools may also function as innovative interpretation strategies within heritage tourism environments. The research adopts a transdisciplinary design-based research approach that combines principles of inclusive education, digital heritage interpretation, and immersive technology design. The initial pilot phase was conducted in an educational setting involving 20 bilingual students (10 with learning difficulties and 10 without) who interacted with tactile artefacts, multimodal storytelling, and AR-enhanced narratives related to the Byzantine and Venetian heritage of Corfu. Based on iterative user feedback and participatory design processes, the toolkit was subsequently adapted for use in tourism contexts such as open-air heritage trails and small museums.
Data collection followed a mixed-methods approach including pre- and post-tests, usability testing, structured observation, and semi-structured interviews with participants and tourism stakeholders. The AR system integrates marker-based interactions and location-triggered content, allowing digital narratives to be embedded directly within the physical heritage landscape. These technological features were intentionally designed to support cognitive accessibility and spatial orientation for visitors of different ages and cognitive profiles, while enabling multimodal engagement through visual overlays, audio narration, and interactive storytelling.
Preliminary findings suggest that the AR museum kit enhances heritage comprehension, emotional engagement, and overall visitor satisfaction. The multisensory and location-aware design appears particularly beneficial for intergenerational audiences and visitors with diverse cognitive needs, supporting deeper interaction with historical narratives. Furthermore, local stakeholders recognize the potential of such tools to diversify visitor experiences and promote the interpretation of lesser-known heritage sites.
Overall, the study highlights that accessibility should not be viewed solely as a regulatory requirement but as a catalyst for innovation in cultural tourism. Inclusive digital interpretation tools have the potential to foster more sustainable and socially equitable tourism practices by expanding access to cultural heritage and encouraging participatory engagement with place-based narratives. Future applications of such technologies could contribute to the development of inclusive heritage routes, accessible interpretation strategies in UNESCO sites, and broader models of inclusive tourism that respond to the needs of diverse visitor communities.
