QR Codes in Cultural Heritage Tourism: New Communications Technologies and Future Prospects in Naples and Warsaw

Cultural heritage comes alive if it can effectively communicate knowledge and contribute to the cultural development of society. Communication is therefore essential for disseminating knowledge to visitors, especially tourists. In this respect, information technology plays a key role in communicating with consumers in the heritage sector, offering a wide variety of channels through which information can be provided. In recent years, technological innovations capable of improving the level and quality of visitors’ interactions with heritage, such as QR Code, have increased. In this context, this paper describes the case of a joint project between the Royal Palace of Naples (Italy) and the Wilanow Palace in Warsaw (Poland) that was aimed at experimenting with new tour routes and an information system based on QR Code. A questionnaire was administered at the two sites at the end of people’s visits to measure their satisfaction with this technology and the new information system. The paper takes an in-depth look at the opportunities provided by new information technologies to enhance the cultural heritage experience. From this perspective, due attention is given to visitors’ needs and expectations.