Visitor satisfaction at the museum: Italian versus foreign visitors.

Abstract

Trying to understand what comprises and influences visitor satisfaction is one of the most relevant areas of research for the tourism sector. The aim of this study is to analyse which factors influence overall satisfaction with visitors to the museum, with particular interest in national origin, feelings, and motivations. The research is based on 1,038 questionnaires collected from June to December 2011 among the visitors of the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology (ÖTZI) in Bolzano, Northern Italy. Logit models were used in order to estimate the set of independent variables which significantly influence both the overall satisfaction of the sample and the differences between Italian and foreign visitors in the perception of satisfaction. The results suggested that the overall satisfaction was related to the national origin of respondents, their feelings and motivations. Furthermore, opinion about showrooms and other services received during the visit appears to be positively and significantly related to overall satisfaction. From this knowledge, museum managers are more equipped to offer the optimal museum experience, as are museum marketers in their advertisement campaigns in Italy and abroad.