Museums, which are one of the important components of cultural tourism, not only offer visitors historical and cultural experiences but also make significant contributions to the tourism economy. A new study conducted in this field revealed the factors affecting museum visitors' loyalty and the tendencies of visitors to pay more to revisit museums.
A comprehensive study was conducted
In the study, the “Comprehensive Adaptation Model” developed for tourism destinations was adapted to museum tourism for the first time. A face-to-face survey was conducted with 810 domestic tourists visiting nine different museums in Ankara. The study examined many factors such as visitors' self-perception, functional expectations, aesthetic pleasure, economic evaluation, perception of safety, and leisure experiences.
Self-perception, functional experience, and sense of pleasure affect loyalty
The research showed that visitors' perception of the image of the museums they experienced as compatible with their own identities has a strong impact on museum loyalty. In other words, when visitors identify themselves with the museum's image and the general visitor profile, their loyalty levels towards that museum increase. This means that when a harmony (self-harmony) is established between a visitor's self-perception and their perception of the museum's image, museum loyalty is strengthened. Additionally, visitors' expectations related to functional elements such as accessibility, comfort, service quality, and organization being met by the museum (functional harmony) emerges as another factor affecting museum loyalty. The enjoyment and aesthetic pleasure felt during the visit being effective on museum loyalty indicates that museum visitors value museums that meet their hedonic expectations (hedonic harmony).
Loyal visitors are willing to pay more
The study revealed that visitors with high museum loyalty are more willing to pay more to revisit the same museum in the future. It was determined that visitors who show high interest in the museum experience exhibit this tendency more strongly. The research shows that it is important for museum managers to focus on aesthetic, functional, and experience-oriented practices that enhance the visitor experience for the sustainability of cultural tourism.
The research was published in the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, published by Emerald Publishing.
