Abstract
Digital technologies are gradually transforming the ways in which tourists engage with cultural heritage by complementing traditional museum and guided-tour formats with interactive means of interpretation. One of the most promising tools is Augmented Reality (AR), which enables digital objects, images, three-dimensional reconstructions, textual information, and audiovisual content to be integrated directly into the physical environment perceived by visitors. The aim of this study is to systematize the main applications of augmented reality in museums and at historical and cultural heritage sites and to identify the mechanisms through which AR influences the tourist experience. The methodological framework combines theoretical analysis, comparative analysis of international practices, content analysis of academic publications, and systematization of the functional capabilities of AR in cultural tourism. The findings indicate that the value of augmented reality for cultural tourism lies not primarily in its technological novelty but in its capacity to bridge the interpretative gap between a tangible heritage object and its historical meaning. Six functional areas of AR application are identified: reconstructive, contextual-informational, narrative, navigational, gamified, and personalized. Their contribution to the tourist experience is shown to operate through interconnected cognitive, emotional, spatial, interactive, and memory-related dimensions. A conceptual model is proposed to explain the transition from the digital interpretation of a heritage object to the formation of a meaningful and memorable tourist experience. The study also considers limitations associated with the historical accuracy of digital reconstructions, technological overload, accessibility, development costs, and the potential weakening of visitors’ perception of authentic heritage objects. Finally, prospects for the application of augmented reality at historical and cultural heritage sites in Kazakhstan are identified.