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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Article
Location Attractiveness as a Major Factor in Museum Visitors’ Choice and Satisfaction
Author(s)
Federica Codignola, Paolo Mariani
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DOI:10.17265/2328-2185/2017.02.001
Affiliation(s)
University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
ABSTRACT
This paper is intended
to give a contribution to the debate on the functional relationship between the
museum and the local territory; more specifically, the aim of this study is to understand
the role of a museum location in attracting visitors and influencing their processes of choice and satisfaction. The study follows, in particular, a previous study conducted
by Mariani and Mussini (2013) based on Fondazione di Venezia data, with a view to
better contextualization level. Previous studies have examined the role of museums
in enhancing the image of a destination and in attracting and conveying additional
tourists’ fluxes, arguing that although not all museums are a destination of choice
for visitors, a great museum or a strong exhibition program still does represent
a national and international attraction. This paper overturns this argument
investigating whereas an appealing location (such as a tourist destination) can
influence prospective visitors about the level of attractiveness of a pay cultural
event taking place therein. A questionnaire was developed and data were collected
at the Palazzo Ducale in Venice, Italy, in 2007, during the art exhibition “Venezia
e l’Islam 829-1797”, via 501 face-to-face visitors interviews. The research model
analyzes data through the conjoint analysis and the descriptive statistics. Results
show that the exhibition location has been a relevant factor in influencing the
visitors’ decision process linked to the attendance of the event. Data show that,
for the majority of visitors, the exhibition had been located elsewhere, they would
not have visited it. Thus, an appealing location or a structured tourist destination
may function as an attractive platform that may contribute to enforce the overall
visitor’s satisfaction with regard to his or her attendance to a cultural event.
Furthermore, such a fact depends on specific objective variables (e.g., level of
education, age), although no significant differences were reported between segments
based on other socio-demographic characteristics such as sex. To conclude, arts
and cultural managers should market and position cultural events in locations that
can function as attractive, thus as emotionally driven experience consumption sites.
Furthermore, they should consider both the cognitive and the emotional aspects of
visitor’s experience when designing and planning their events, as well as when assessing
visitor’s satisfaction. Cognitive and emotional aspects should be considered simultaneously
when measuring visitors’ satisfaction. In shaping visitors’ satisfaction, emotions,
such as the pleasure to be in a particular location, are more significant than cognitive
aspects, such as the theme of the exhibition.
KEYWORDS
cultural management, arts management, museum management, cultural event, museum attendance, visitor’s satisfaction, location attractiveness, conjoint analysis
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