Art museum visitor segments: evidence from Italy on omnivores and highbrow univores
Date
2019Source Title
International Journal of Arts Management
Print ISSN
1480-8986
Publisher
Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales
Volume
21
Issue
2
Pages
55 - 69
Language
English
Type
ArticleItem Usage Stats
447
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807
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Abstract
This study segments the various types of art museum visitor using two-step cluster analysis. It goes beyond
a simple demographic categorization of visitors and investigates why people visit museums, in particular what
experiences they seek in museums based on their preferences and participation in various leisure activities.
The sample was selected from among visitors to two art museums in Genoa, Italy. Face-to-face interviews
were conducted with 400 visitors. The resulting 394 useable questionnaires yielded two clusters – Cultural
Omnivores and Art Museum Univores – providing evidence for the omnivore/highbrow univore thesis described
in the literature. The data suggest that the experiences visitors look for in museums, their preferences regarding
various leisure activities, and their attendance at both highbrow and popular cultural events provide an
effective means of segmenting art museum visitors. The theoretical contributions and managerial implications
are discussed.