Okan Çolak and Halil Ibrahim Karakan
This study aims to determine museum experiences by analyzing the TripAdvisor reviews of the museum visitors in Gaziantep and offer suggestions for improving the visitors'…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to determine museum experiences by analyzing the TripAdvisor reviews of the museum visitors in Gaziantep and offer suggestions for improving the visitors' experiences by taking museum curators' opinions.
Design/methodology/approach
The case study method was used as one of the qualitative approaches in the study. The research comprises two stages. TripAdvisor reviews about five museums in Gaziantep were analyzed in the first stage, and museum curators' opinions on the visitor complaint reasons and solution suggestions were discussed in the second stage.
Findings
The study showed that satisfying or non-satisfying experience factors might differ according to visitors, museum curators and both visitors and museum curators. Therefore, each museum curator should effectively manage every component of visitor experience factors by its target audience.
Research limitations/implications
Although this study has some valuable findings and contributes to the literature, it also has limitations. The study's sample consists of five museums in Gaziantep. Further studies can be carried out on a larger population and sample. The data for determining visitor experiences, the first stage of the research, were obtained only from an online platform (TripAdvisor).
Practical implications
The proposed model provides a holistic perspective on evaluating and managing visitor experience. There may be structural problems (small size of the museum area, lack of parking spaces and elevators, etc.) with the museum beyond the manager's control. Also, the lack of information and communication (limited concept, lack of artifacts, etc.) causes criticisms of the museum.
Social implications
This paper contributes to the museum management literature with a model for enriching the quality of the museum experience and increasing the museum's attractiveness. The study showed that museums contribute to the visitor's experience in all dimensions. While visitors thought museums primarily contribute to object experience, museum curators thought museums contribute more to visitors' cognitive experience and other experience elements.
Originality/value
The present study analyzed the visitor comments and the opinions of museum curators from a holistic perspective, considering the internal and external factors that are effective in the visitor experience, and revealed the reasons for the visitors' negative experience and the solution suggestions toward the improvement of the visitor experience.
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Çağdaş Ertaş and Halil Ibrahim Karakan
This study aims to use TripAdvisor data to identify which themes and events will attract more interest in the future of tourism activities and to provide guidance to the industry…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to use TripAdvisor data to identify which themes and events will attract more interest in the future of tourism activities and to provide guidance to the industry accordingly.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used qualitative case study approach. To identify key themes in the top-rated activities, thematic analysis of user-generated content was conducted through MAXQDA 2020 Analytics Pro software.
Findings
The findings of this study indicate a growing trend in tourist preferences, with a notable increase in the popularity of wellness activities such as spa treatments and yoga retreats. Tourists also highly prefer cultural experiences like local festivals and historical tours, adventure activities such as hiking and water sports, and food-related activities like cooking classes and wine tastings. There is a significant trend towards sustainable and environmentally friendly tourism activities. These results underscore the need to cater to diverse tourist interests in developing future tourism offerings.
Practical implications
Developing innovative events, using data-driven marketing strategies, involving local communities, and catering to diverse preferences can enhance the sustainability and competitiveness of the tourism sector.
Social implications
Understanding tourists' tendencies towards cultural, adventurous and sustainable experiences helps tourism operators and managers to create offers that satisfy tourists while promoting environmentally friendly practices. This shift promotes cultural preservation, environmental protection and community involvement.
Originality/value
This study uniquely analyzes top-rated TripAdvisor activities to identify key trends in tourist preferences, highlighting the growing demand for cultural, adventurous, gastronomic, and sustainable tourism.