Location – Based Mobile Augmented Reality Application for Tourism in Khao E-to Waterfall Recreational Forest, Prachinburi Province: New Dimensions of Recreation in the 21st Century

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to (1) develop a location-based augmented reality system for navigation and tourism information at Khao E-To Waterfall Recreational Forest, Prachinburi Province, and (2) examine users’ opinions of the developed system. Three experts participated in the system evaluation, while the study sample consisted of 313 Thai tourists who visited Khao E-To Waterfall Recreational Forest. The research instruments included (1) a location-based augmented reality system developed using the ARLOOPA application, (2) an expert evaluation questionnaire with an Index of Item-Objective Congruence (IOC) of 1.00, and (3) a user questionnaire with a Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficient of 0.916. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. The results revealed that the developed location-based augmented reality system was suitable in terms of content and practical for use in the recreational forest area. Overall, tourists reported a high level of satisfaction with the system ( x̄ = 4.20), particularly with the appropriateness of the content ( x̄ = 4.27) and the clarity of information presentation ( x̄ = 4.25). The findings further indicated that the system supported experiential learning, enhanced visitors’ understanding of nature, increased their interest in nature interpretation, and enriched their digital recreation experiences at nature-based tourist attractions.