My Tripadvisor: Mining Social Media for Visitors' Perceptions of Museums vs. Attractions
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My Tripadvisor: Mining Social Media for Visitors'
Perceptions of Museums vs. Attractions
by Elizabeth L. Maurer
T
Elizabeth L. Maurer is a Senior he International Council of Museums selected: the International Spy Museum,
Marketing Associate at Design (ICOM) defines a museum as “a Colonial Williamsburg, the Smithsonian
and Production Incorporated and
non-profit, permanent institution in Institution’s National Air and Space Museum
the Creative Director of Re-Living
History. She may be contacted at
the service of society and its development, (NASM), and the World of Coca-Cola.
liz@re-livinghistory.com. open to the public, which acquires, conserves, Colonial Williamsburg and NASM fit ICOM’s
researches, communicates and exhibits the definition of a museum. The International Spy
tangible and intangible heritage of humanity Museum self-identifies as a museum; though,
If you would like to comment and its environment for the purposes of as a for-profit business, according to ICOM, it
on this article or others in this education, study and enjoyment” (ICOM, is a museum-like entity. The World of Coca-
issue, please log on to the NAME 2007). Visitors would not be expected to know Cola does not self-identify as a museum but is
listserv at http://groups.yahoo. or necessarily care about the technical definition categorized as one by tourism organizations and
com/group/NAME-AAM/ of a museum. Instead, visitors define a museum uses museum presentation techniques.
based on personal criteria. If the visit does not
match their expectations, they may conclude The Organizations in the Study
that an organization that ICOM defines as a The Smithsonian National Air
museum is not, in fact, a museum. and Space Museum
The National Air and Space Museum
Many non-museums have adopted museum commemorates the national development of
identities or presentation techniques. They aviation and spaceflight while educating and
include web sites organizations that stage inspiring the nation (Office of Communications,
exhibitions to advance a point of view, groups National Air and Space Museum, n.d.). The
that build exhibitions with a profit motive, National Mall location welcomes more than
and businesses exhibiting corporate history. nine million visitors a year, making it the most
Many organizations that in the past would visited museum in the world.
have identified themselves as attractions have
adopted museum labels for marketing purposes. International Spy Museum
Many museums concurrently have borrowed The International Spy Museum is a for-
presentation techniques pioneered by attractions profit organization in Washington, DC. The
and gaming. As attractions have sought to organization describes its mission as educating
present themselves as museums and museums the public about espionage while fostering
use attraction-like techniques it is natural that understanding about its role in history (Spy
their distinctions would blur. Museum, n.d.). The average annual attendance
was reported in 2008 to be 670,000 visitors
This paper examines visitors’ statements (Trescott, 2008).
about visits to museums and museum-like
organizations to explore their definition of a Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
museum and evaluate how the organizations Colonial Williamsburg, a living history museum
meet expectations. The paper further discusses in Williamsburg, VA, was established as a
why visitor perceptions are important for private, not for profit, educational organization
museums to examine, understand, and react to preserve Williamsburg’s colonial-era
to in their practices. Four organizations were buildings and to educate Americans about the
28
EXHIBITIONIST SPRING '11As attractions have sought to present themselves as museums
and museums use attraction-like techniques, it is natural that
their distinctions would blur.
revolutionary era (Colonial Williamsburg, n.d., Conclusions were based upon analysis of the
History). Paid general admission in 2009 was numerical averages combined with the narrative
660,000 visitors (Campbell, n.d. President’s evaluations. TripAdvisor asks reviewers to
Report). post a single rating for a site based on a scale
between 1 (low) and 5 (high). As the site does
The World of Coca-Cola not provide rating criteria, it is not always
The World of Coca-Cola opened in Atlanta, possible to isolate the specific factors that
GA in 2007. The organization describes itself contributed to each rating. The narratives in
as a “place where you can explore the complete “3” ratings were more negative than positive,
story—past, present, and future—of the leading to the conclusion that 3 and below is a
world’s best known brand” (Coca-Cola, n.d., negative rating.
About Us). The tour is advertised as including
1,200 artifacts that include the world’s largest
collection of Coke memorabilia and world Table 1: TripAdvisor Ratings of Subject Organizations by Subgroup
class, pop culture artwork. The visitation is not
National Air and Space Museum International Spy Museum
published; however, the company planned for Respondents Average Rated Respondents Percent Average Rated a
an annual visitation of one million. Rating a 4 or of Rating 4 or 5
5 Audience
All 68 4 76% All 105 3 49%
Study Methodology Men 31% 4 90% Men 25% 3.4 54%
Women 38% 3 50% Women 41% 3.4 77%
The research data were drawn from reviews Unknown 31% 4.5 77% Unknown 34% 3 42%
posted on TripAdvisor, the largest travel Parents 15% 3.5 50% Parents 30% 3.3 53%
Exhibits Dated 16% 3 44% Exhibits 8% 2.5 13%
site on the web and the first to attract 40 broken
million unique visitors a month (TripAdvisor, Crowded 37% 4 67% Crowded 28% 2.8 28%
2010). The site boasts information about visit Cost too high 29% 2.4 13%
experiences posted by thousands of museum Median Rating 4.16 Median Rating 3.27
visitors. TripAdvisor reviews are available
Colonial Williamsburg World of Coca-cola
for hundreds of museums and attractions,
Respondents Percent Average Rated Respondents Percent Average Rated a
but—more importantly—the information is of Rating a 4 or of Rating 4 or 5
Audience 5 Audience
collected systematically. Only registered users
All 125 4 73% All 100 4 65%
post reviews. When setting up an account, Men 22% 4 64% Men 30% 3.5 53%
users are asked to report age, gender, and Women 51% 4 75% Women 47% 4 79%
Unknown 27% 4 74% Unknown 23% 3.1 52%
place of residence, and many do. For this Parents 31% 4 69% Parents 23% 4 74%
study, where possible, a minimum of 100 Cost too high 18% 2.6 13% Cost too high 25% 3.6 60%
reviews was downloaded and analyzed for Crowded 14% 3 36%
each organization. (Only NASM did not
Median Rating 4.06 Median Rating 4
have 100 reviews posted within the last three
years.) The reviews were pasted into an Access Note: TripAdvisor reviewers rate sites on a scale of 1 to 5 with one being low and five being high.
database and coded according to several Courtesy of Elizabeth Maurer.
factors. The coded data were analyzed using
SPSS statistical software to determine the
frequencies of visitors’ self-reported experiences.
29
EXHIBITIONIST SPRING '11People using social media to rate and rank products and
services have become increasingly important in influencing
consumer decision-making.
(continued from page 29) People using social media to rate and rank perception including marketing, reputation, and
products and services have become increasingly presentation technique, this paper will focus on
important in influencing consumer decision- three: admission, accessibility, and educational
making.1 An independent study by Yoo and experience. Based on these criteria, NASM lies
Gretzel (2008) found that 97.7% of internet on the museum end. World of Coca-Cola lies
users planning trips used travel review web sites near the attraction end, though with museum-
to make decisions. A TripAdvisor-funded study like aspects. Colonial Williamsburg and the
concluded that people who read online reviews Spy Museum fall in the middle with some
believe they provide more up-to-date and seeing them as either more museum-like or
reliable information than travel professionals. attraction-like.
Eighty percent of respondents believed that the
information helped them to make better travel Cost and Commercialism
choices by avoiding hotels, restaurants, Cost was the most significant factor in
and activities that they might not enjoy determining whether people viewed an
(Gretzel, 2007). organization as a museum or an attraction.
While cost was never the sole factor, admission
Reviewers broadcast their opinions using fees highly influenced perceptions. When visitors
social media. They provide a lot of detail to felt that the experience was not worth the cost
make their arguments and influence others. or that the organization valued the admission
The level of detail in reviews allows the subject over their experience, they dismissed it as a
organizations to better understand what their “tourist trap.” Free entry strongly reinforced the
current visitors think of them. They may ask perception of a museum.
themselves: What are the perceptions of our
organization’s goals and purposes? Are we NASM does not charge admission, and,
meeting expectations? How might we change though visitors criticized many aspects of
perceptions? Are there changes that we want to the experience, it was the highest rated and
make based on contributions to social media? most often described in museum-like terms.
This is important because organizations can Visitors understood that the free admission to
change their marketing to better emphasize or NASM affected the quality of their experience
de-emphasize their “museum-ness.” through crowding and worn out exhibits, but
the free admission made it more museum-
Visitor Opinions of “Real” Museum like. “Yes, its crowded. Yes, its old. Yes, it’s
Experiences a must see/do attraction. This place is just
This study views museums and attractions at amazing. Remember [sic] is FREE!!” They
opposite ends of a spectrum. The TripAdvisor were less accepting of the paid experiences in
data shows that visitors to each of the four the museum. More then half who participated
organizations perceived them at different points in paid programs including the planetarium
along the spectrum. Several aspects of a visit show, flight simulators, and IMAX movies were
influenced whether people saw the organization critical of them saying that they were not worth
as a museum or a tourist attraction. While there the extra cost and were commercial.
are many different factors that influence visitor
30
EXHIBITIONIST SPRING '11In the three admission-charging This was also the case at Colonial
organizations, visitors consistently Williamsburg where 18% of the
linked the value of the experience to reviewers wrote that the ticket prices
cost. Twenty-nine percent of the Spy were too high. Their most common
Museum respondents said that admission complaints were about rude staff and
was too high, the largest percentage of a dearth of exhibition buildings. Many
all four. In November 2010, the Spy found the retail shops to be more
Museum’s advertised admission was $18 numerous and prominently located
per adult with a discount for children than the exhibitions and concluded that
aged 11 and under. (Spy Museum, Colonial Williamsburg consisted mainly
n.d.) The largest segment of Spy of colonial retail stores. When this was
Museum complaints, 28%, was about the case, they equated it with being an
crowding. A full 80% of the visitors attraction. Visitors who rated the site a
who complained about crowds also 1 or a 2 consistently said that the ticket
complained about admission prices. prices were too high. The ticket price
did not by itself lead to dissatisfaction;
If it had been free I might not rather it was the cost in conjunction with
mind missing out on 3/4 of the accessing the educational experience. When visitors
exhibits as much, but paying $18 felt that the
for the privilege of cramming Many World of Coca-Cola visitors
my way through a mass of hot, complained that the tour was overly
experience was
sweaty bodies and not being able commercial (24%) and repeatedly not worth the
to comfortably enjoy any single compared it to a Coke advertisement.
exhibit without getting pressured Twenty-five percent said that the
cost or that the
to move on or someone breathing admission was too high. While some organization
down my neck makes this a big visitors may not have had prior
lesson learned! knowledge of the content, many
valued the
had no objections to the commercial admission over
message. Though some felt the cost
Others expressed dissatisfaction that
their experience,
the experience did not match the was too high, it had a limited effect
expectations set by marketing, such, “So on visitor ratings. Sixty percent of they dismissed it
we thought that a game was starting and the people who complained about as a “tourist trap.”
that we would indeed 'have a mission' the cost rated the museum a 4 or a 5,
…What a deception! There are indeed which was a higher percentage than
some stands near the exit where you can for Colonial Williamsburg or the Spy
test if you remember your identity but Museum. Though they complained of
nothing more.” The visitors who found it commercialism, the majority of visitors
highly interactive and not crowded were understood that World of Coca-Cola’s
more likely to say that the experience mission was to promote the brand. Many
was worth the admission. described it as a corporate museum.
Charging admission does not
31
EXHIBITIONIST SPRING '11Visitors accept admission fees when they feel that they receive
value for money, but even in a free museum visitors question
whether paid segments add value.
(continued from page 31) automatically signal that an organization is about accessibility at NASM rated the museum
not a museum. Visitors accept admission fees either a 4 or a 5.
when they feel that they receive value for money,
but even in a free museum visitors question The Spy Museum’s reviewers were influenced
whether paid segments add value. They often by physical accessibility. Among those who
link the visit’s value to accessibility and content. cited a negative impact of crowding, three
If they think that the organization is more quarters rated the museum as a 3 or lower.
interested in revenue than the visitor experience, The Spy Museum’s visitors blamed crowding
they re-categorize it as an attraction. Based on management that allowed too many people
on this conclusion, organizations that charge inside. As one visitor wrote,
admission may find several issues to consider.
Do visitors feel that they are receiving the We would not have paid over $50 to get in
expected experience? Do visitors feel welcome? if we had known we wouldn’t even get to
Do visitors feel that the organization has a experience most of the museums interactive
commercial purpose or an educational purpose? stations due to the large crowds of people
that just kept flowing out of the elevators.
Accessibility
Visitors reported that accessibility was a Visitors also wrote that exhibit components
prerequisite to facilitating learning and such as a climbing tube and computer
enhancing enjoyment. Visitors made value interactives encouraged children to run wild,
judgments as to why organizations were more or which detracted from the museum-like nature of
less accessible. When they concluded that lack of the visit. When visitors equated low accessibility
accessibility could be blamed on internal factors with poor management and high admission,
such as poor management or a commercial they were more likely to view the organization
intent, they tended to view the organization as an attraction.
as an attraction. When they concluded that
inaccessibility could be blamed on factors such The amount of content also influenced
as free admission or in-depth content, they saw perceptions. Organizations with more in-depth
the organization as being more like a museum. or scholarly content were seen as being more
museum-like while somewhat less cognitively
Crowding and worn/broken exhibits were accessible. NASM was seen by visitors as having
repeatedly cited as negative accessibility factors in-depth content, which made it less accessible
at NASM and the Spy Museum. While 37% of to people who were not already interested in the
NASM’s reviewers said that it was crowded and topic. NASM was the most likely to be described
23% wrote of crowding at the Spy Museum, as “boring,” but the scholarly content rendered
visitors assessed the reasons differently. Several it more museum-like. At Colonial Williamsburg
NASM visitors pointed out that the free many reviewers with children wrote that the
admission explained although did not excuse the organization was difficult for children to access.
crowding and/or broken exhibits, and therefore The information was either too complex or the
was a mitigating factor in their evaluations. experience was not structured for children’s
Seventy-two percent of people who complained attention spans. “Hard for young ones who
32
EXHIBITIONIST SPRING '11are tired, hot, and not impressed/entertained Educational Experience
(4-11 yr. olds were bored). More for the avid TripAdvisor reviewers discussed their visits
historian adult.” Even though parents rated in blow-by-blow detail. They described
Colonial Williamsburg lower than non-parents, everything from the order in which they visited
69% of them still rated it a 4 or 5. While it may exhibits to orientation film plot lines. Within
have been difficult for children to access, the these descriptions lies valuable information
adults noted that the scholarly content made it regarding their perceptions of the level of
more museum-like. Adults enjoyed it more content and educational engagement. As we saw
than children. in the Accessibility section, visitors perceived
organizations that offered more scholarly
Accessibility played a role in visitors’ content as being more museum-like. In order Accessibility
perceptions of whether an organization was to measure their perceptions of learning, the
a museum or not as did the reasons for high frequency with which visitors described the
became an
or low access. Visitors to NASM recognized educational/content aspects of their visits was important
the museum as being inaccessible but excused coded for this study and averaged across the
it because it was free and scholarly. This population. The educational ratings did not
factor in visitors’
was not the case with the admission-based correlate to TripAdvisor’s numerical ratings. An perceptions
organizations. Spy Museum visitors described organization may be fun to visit and receive a
lack of physical access to exhibits as making high rating but not be seen as educational and
of whether an
it less museum-like and more attraction- vice versa. organization was
like because they perceived that collecting
admission was more important than visitor
an attraction
NASM was highest rated on TripAdvisor, in
experience. Though Colonial Williamsburg’s this study, with a median rating of 4.16. Its rather than a
visitors noted that the scholarly content was visitors expressed an average of 2.2 education museum when
not accessible to children, they did not see the comments apiece. Almost one third of the
lack of accessibility as making it less museum- comments were about information they learned accessibility was
like. Instead the depth of content made it more or artifacts that inspired them. As only 7% correlated with
museum-like. As noted in the Cost section, of the respondents wrote positively about
Colonial Williamsburg visitors who were the ways in which information was delivered cost and content.
not well-oriented tended to characterize it as (e.g. programs, tours, exhibit components,
attraction. Accessibility became an important interactives, etc.), it was clear that interacting
factor in visitors’ perceptions of whether an with “real” artifacts, i.e. the content, was the
organization was an attraction rather than a highlight. In contrast, Spy Museum visitors
museum when accessibility was correlated with more often wrote about the way the experience
cost and content. Using TripAdvisor reviews, was delivered. The Spy Museum’s median
organizations can reevaluate entry procedures TripAdvisor rating was 3.27. While the average
or methods of communication. Knowing which number of educational words per visitor was
segments of visitors are not being reached also 2.2, like NASM’s, 44% of reviewers made no
allows organizations to develop better, more reference to content/education. This was unique
targeted staff training. in that the educational comments were more
evenly distributed among reviewers of the other
33
EXHIBITIONIST SPRING '11When carefully deconstructed, sites like
TripAdvisor provide valuable insight.
(continued from page 33) three organizations. There was a division among had unlimited access to 64 different sodas
the Spy Museum’s reviewers who reported from around the world. Sixty-nine percent of
References:
Campbell, C. (n.d.). President’s learning and those who did not. Some said that reviewers listed Taste It! as a highlight, more
report: A different place the exhibits lacked focus, while as was noted in than any other element in any of the other
with a timeless story.
the Cost and Accessibility sections, many had organizations. Visitors reported learning from
RetrievedNovember 2010
from http://www.history.org/ difficulty interacting with them. Others said Taste It! that all taste buds are different. The
Foundation/Annualrpt09/index. that the content was superficial and sometimes lack of depth, though, was apparent in visitor
cfm incorrect. Yet, the Spy Museum’s visitors were comments wondering why taste buds are
Colonial Williamsburg (n.d.), The
much more likely than NASM’s to say that the different, and a few expressly noted the absence
history of Colonial Williamsburg. visit was fun. of a world context to explain the differences.
Retrieved November 2010 The World of Coca-Cola exhibition is highly
from http://www.history.org/
The method of content delivery may influence experiential, and many visitors liked the aspects
Foundation/cwhistory.cfm
how visitors report their educational encounters. that engaged their senses. Coca-Cola was the
Gretzel, U. (2007). Online travel Colonial Williamsburg’s reviewers averaged only organization in which adults with children
review study: role & impact of
4.7 educational comments, twice the total for rated the experience higher than those without
online travel reviews. Laboratory
for Intelligent Systems in Tourism. any other organization. Though its median children. Though learning occurred, the overall
Retrieved January 2011from TripAdvisor rating of 4.06 was lower than rating was more influenced by the fun aspects of
http://docs.google.com/viewe NASM’s, visitors appear to have found it the tour than the depth of learning.
r?a=v&q=cache:UFw7rMvtSS
IJ:www.tripadvisor.com/pdfs/
more educational. Even among those who
OnlineTravelReviewReport.pdf+tr were critical or found it commercial almost all The techniques that museums use to convey
ipadvisor+gretzel&hl=en&gl=us& mentioned things that they learned. Unlike the content are important factors that influence
pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESgsiL8KN
other three museums, Colonial Williamsburg’s visitor learning. Highly experiential exhibits
VpglKusmf26pGehSOhBWYCPG
UH3QM55iIoCCBePhBNYi-Hr1 visitors access content through interaction with that are also highly focused appear to
33tvdy15I2hWiqVm4zzOJstNRBo front line staff rather than static exhibits. The engender more learning than those that are
krz3ANi8O1_
interpersonal delivery method may be more less experiential and less focused. Visitors who
International Committee on influential in visitor-reported learning. characterized Colonial Williamsburg and Coca-
Museums. (2007). Museum Cola as commercial still reported learning,
definition. Retrieved November Visitors to the World of Coca-Cola also reflected which was likely due to their presentation
2010 from http://icom.museum/
who-we-are/the-vision/museum-
educational experiences in their reviews at a techniques. NASM reviewers rated it a
definition.htm higher rate than NASM or Spy Museum, at 2.8 better overall place to visit but described less
each. The median TripAdvisor rating was 4.0, learning. Learning alone does not determine
O'Connor, P., Höpken, W.,
which was less than NASM but higher than whether people view an organization as a
Gretzel, U. (2008). International
Conference on Information and Spy Museum. Coca-Cola’s visitors may have museum because reviewers do not see learning
Communication Technologies responded to the highly focused exhibition. as exclusive to non-commercial settings.
in Tourism. Information and
Comments demonstrated that the exhibition The presence of scholarly content is more
communication technologies in
tourism 2008: Proceedings of the was successful in conveying a sense of Coca- determinative of whether an organization is
International Spy Museum. (n.d.). Cola’s brand, though not of soda generally. viewed as museum-like. Lack of content coupled
Retrieved November 2010 from Many of Coca-Cola’s visitors acknowledged the with less engaging presentation techniques make
http://www.spymuseum.org/about
narrow perspective but still cited learning new, an organization appear less museum-like. All
if not complex, information. The most popular organizations that want to promote learning can
exhibit was the Taste It! room in which visitors draw upon these observations. Providing highly
34
EXHIBITIONIST SPRING '11Lack of content coupled with less engaging presentation
techniques make an organization appear less museum-like.
focused content in an experiential manner organization appear more museum-like while References continued:
promotes self reported learning The depth of superficial or incorrect content leads to the Office of Communications,
National Air and Space Museum.
learning is predicated upon depth of content. opposite assessment. (n.d.) National Air and Space
Traditional museums may want to consider Museum press kit. Retrieved
adapting the techniques of highly sensory Visitor evaluations on TripAdvisor are self- November 2010 from http://www.
nasm.si.edu/events/pressroom/
exhibits such as Coca-Cola’s Taste It! to reach reported and are not necessarily representative
presskits/museumkit/overview_
more visitors. of the feelings of all visitors to an organization. nasm.cfm
Comprehensive visitor surveys may yield
Trescott, J. (2008, March 23).
Conclusions different perception data. However, because
Some people would die to end up
Reviewers on TripAdvisor described their TripAdvisor reviewers use social media to at this museum. The Washington
visits to four organizations quite differently. share their points-of-view, their opinions can Post. Retrieved November 2010
They indicated that a wide variety of factors have important impact. As studies indicate, from http://www.
washingtonpost.com/wp-yn/
influenced their perceptions of whether each large numbers of potential visitors use social content/article/2008/05/22/
was a museum. Free organizations were more media to make visit decisions. As social media AR2008052204114.html
likely to be viewed as museum-like than those continues to grow in influence, and as the
TripAdvisor (September, 2010).
that charged admission. Difficulty in accessing number of reviews rises, organizations will
TripAdvisor becomes the first
exhibits at admission-based organizations find that the on-line opinions will only grow travel brand to break the 40
reinforced perceptions that they were less in impact. Organizations that seek to influence million unique monthly visitors
barrier.Retrieved December 2010
museum-like. Commercialism was more their identification as museums must be
from http://www.tripadvisor.
determinative of perception than learning vigilant in assessing and responding to visitors’ com/PressCenter-i3967-c1-Press_
because visitors saw commercial entities as perceptions. When carefully deconstructed, Releases.html
capable of being educational. While learning sites like TripAdvisor provide valuable insight.
The World of Coca-Cola.
was not as determinative, depth of content Visitors freely offer their opinions, and (n.d.). About us. Retrieved
was. Presenting scholarly content makes an organizations would be wise to listen. November 2010from http://www.
worldofCoca-Cola.com/AboutUs.
aspx
Yoo, K. H., and Gretzel, U.
(2008). The influence of perceived
Footnotes: credibility on recommendation
1
Research in this area is increasing. Suggested readings include: Bailey, A.A. (Fall 2005). Consumer wareness and se of roduct source preference. Information
eview ebsites, Journal of Interactive Advertising 6,(1). ; Vermeulen, I.E. and Seegers, D.(February 2009). Tried and tested: Technology and Tourism 10(2),
The mpact of online hotel reviews on consumer consideration. Tourism Management, 30 (1), 123-127; and Huang, P.,. Lurie, 133-146.
N.H., and Mitra,S. (March 2009). Searching for experience on the web: An empirical examination of consumer behavior for
search and experience Goods. Journal of Marketing, 73(2), , 55-69.
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