Understanding virtual museum visits: generation Z experiences

ABSTRACT

This paper aims to provide new insight into creating authentic Web-based virtual museum experiences by exploring positive and negative elements of the experiences of Web-based virtual museum visits performed by young (Generation Z) visitors. The Qualitative Diary Research (QDR) method was applied, encompassing 107 visits of web-based virtual museums from different countries. Results reveal that the visitors’ orientation and moving, the technology used in virtual museums, and virtual exhibition and artefacts represent crucial factors for satisfaction. Time flexibility and lack of cost contribute to a better virtual museum experience. The absence of people in virtual museums and the lack of services such as museum e-shops and entertainment were found to be harmful elements in contributing to the better virtual museum experience. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper that offers insights into Generation Z experiences of different Web-based virtual museums.

KEYWORDS:

• Virtual museums
• young visitors
• generation Z
• qualitative research
• research diaries
• virtual exhibition

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Tanja Komarac

Tanja Komarac, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Marketing Department of the Faculty of Economics & Business at the University of Zagreb, Croatia. Her research interests include arts marketing and management, experiential marketing, and mobile marketing in arts and culture. She has published papers in Current Issues in Tourism, International Journal of Arts Management, Museum Management and Curatorship, and other journals. Also, she has collaborated with museum professionals on successful museum projects such as the exhibition ‘The Sixties in Croatia: Myth and Reality’ with the Museum of Arts and Crafts in Zagreb, ‘Museum shop student experience’ with the Museum of Contemporary Art Zagreb, and other museums.

Đurđana Ozretić Došen

Đurđana Ozretić Došen, Ph.D., is a full professor in the Marketing Department of the Faculty of Economics & Business at the University of Zagreb, Croatia. Her research interests include services marketing, brand management, and international marketing. She has published books, contributions to books, journal articles (e.g., in Current Issues in Tourism, Journal of Business Research, European Management Journal, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, International Journal of Arts Management, etc.), and conference proceedings. She frequently collaborates in projects to popularise science with different public and private institutions, including museums (Museum of Arts and Crafts in Zagreb, Museum of Contemporary Art Zagreb).