The Future of Museums. An Analysis from the Visitors’ Perspective in the Spanish Context

Ayala, Í., Cuenca-Amigo, M. y Jaime Cuenca (2021). The Future of Museums. An Analysis from the Visitors’ Perspective in the Spanish Context, The Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society, 51(3), 171-187. DOI: 10.1080/10632921.2021.1901813

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Resumen:

Museums have been a substantial part of cultural discussions over the past years. From a theoretical perspective, different disciplines have defended the social shift of museums and have re-envisioned their future. However, it remains to be seen how visitors view the future of museums. This article addresses this issue by adopting an audience development approach. It analyses a questionnaire administered to 685 visitors to 16 Spanish museums between October and December 2019. The findings revealed that the audience believed that museums should offer a vision that respects cultural diversity, and provide enriching and memorable experiences, while at the same time defending the classic values of cultural heritage, among others. Women and visitors that gave more importance to the practice of visiting museums than to other cultural practices were found to be the most demanding visitor segments.