Mona Lisa meets Nintendo The Influence of Visitor Experience on Behavioural Intentions in the Gamified Museum Context

Abstract

This study focuses on the role of the type of museum (gamified vs. traditional) in the relationship between visitor experience and behavioural intentions (word-of-mouth intention and revisit intention). Building on previous literature, the research defines a model of visitor experience with four realms (esthetics, entertainment, education and escapism) from Pine and Gilmore (1999). A qualitative case study with 27 interviews was conducted in two cases: in a gamified interactive museum and a traditional museum. This paper contributes to previous research with two main findings: (1) visitor experience has a positive influence on behavioural intentions and (2) the type of museum (gamified vs. traditional) does not play a moderating role in this relationship. Limitations, interpretations, future research directions and implications for practitioners are discussed at the end of the paper.