Abstract
Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to draw together the previous academic and industry research on non-attendance of cultural attractions, followed by qualitative in-depth interviews to identify commonalities or gaps in the previous research on barriers, constraints and inhibitors, as well as to propose linkages between these. Design/methodology/approach - A multi-method approach is used - where barriers, constraints and inhibitors are identified by means of thematic content analysis of the literature. A set of probing questions is developed based on these themes and is then examined in in-depth interviews with individuals that had not visited cultural attractions in the past two years, in an attempt to triangulate data, as well as to identify connections between barriers. Findings - From the literature, eight interconnected barriers to visitation are identified: physical access; personal access; cost; time and timing; product; personal interest and peer group; socialisation and understanding; and information. The in-depth interviews generally support these, although it is also identified that there are complex interrelationships between the issues. Originality/value - This paper addresses the neglected question of why people do not attend cultural attractions by triangulating thematic findings from the content analysis of diverse literature with in-depth interview responses from one non-visitor segment. This results in an interconnected model of barriers that can be used to assist managers to develop strategies addressing low visitation rates within targeted segments.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 833-854 |
Number of pages | 22 |
Journal | Marketing Intelligence and Planning |
Volume | 27 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Sep 2009 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Arts
- Interviews
- Marketing strategy
- Perception
- Tourism development