Grounding through objects: how phygital visitations shape visitor response

Digital technologies are transforming museum visitor experiences, yet concerns persist about whether virtual representations diminish materiality, which is vital for cultural appreciation. Extending from the materiality vs. digitalization dichotomy, we argued that phygital (vs. digital-only) displays promote stronger positive visitor responses (learn more, revisit, recommend, and purchase). This effect is explained by the theory of groundedness, which posits that physical artifacts evoke a sense of emotional rootedness and connection to the past, place, and people. This effect occurs only when material authenticity is high (authentic artifacts rather than replicas) and the temporal context is historically rich (ancient rather than modern settings). Using a mixed-method design across four studies, we empirically tested the proposed effects. The present investigation furthers the theoretical debates of materiality vs. digitalization by highlighting the critical role of groundedness in visitor experiences. The findings advance sustainable tourism scholarship and cultural tourism practitioners by demonstrating how technologies, if made in a phygital fashion, can reconcile digital innovation with materiality, encouraging visitor engagement and cultural appreciation.