Embodied experience and visitor loyalty in historic cultural heritage buildings: integrating structural equation modeling and deep learning

Xiang, Chen, Huang, Zikun, Qian, Jilei, Rosni, Nur Aulia Bt and Ab Ghafar, Norafida 2025. Embodied experience and visitor loyalty in historic cultural heritage buildings: integrating structural equation modeling and deep learning. Sustainability 17 (18) , 8379. 10.3390/su17188379

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Abstract

This study is grounded in the global agenda of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), emphasizing the critical role of historic cultural heritage buildings in fostering cultural continuity and long-term engagement. Centered on the living conservation of architectural heritage, the research explores how immersive and embodied interactions shape visitor loyalty. Structural equation modeling (SEM) demonstrates that environmental restoration and flow experience significantly mediate the relationship between embodied experience and loyalty, while cultural identity further strengthens these pathways. To complement the explanatory analysis, deep learning methods were employed, with the multilayer perceptron (MLP) outperforming the gated recurrent unit (GRU) in terms of predictive accuracy. SHAP analysis revealed that technological mediation and physical interaction are the strongest predictors of loyalty, followed by sensory immersion. By integrating explanatory and predictive perspectives, the study refines the embodied experience framework and offers both theoretical insights and practical guidance for the design and conservation of historic cultural heritage buildings. Ultimately, the findings highlight that embodied experience-driven living heritage conservation not only sustains cultural identity but also makes a meaningful contribution to the realization of global sustainable development.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Published Online
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Architecture
Additional Information:	License information from Publisher: LICENSE 1: URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, Start Date: 2025-09-18
Publisher:	MDPI
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	8 October 2025
Date of Acceptance:	16 September 2025
Last Modified:	08 Oct 2025 09:00
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/181547

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