Mary Wanjiku David
Abstract
Museums in Kenya are very conservative and passive in the way they present their products to visitors. The number of visitors to museums and historical sites in Kenya are very low compared to those visiting wildlife and beach attractions yet the museums have very rich cultural artifacts and heritage. The study adopted an explanatory research design and was carried out in Kitale Museum. The aim was to establish the purpose of participants’ visit to the museum, the products offered, and whether the visitors were satisfied with the visit to the museum. 176 visitors were interviewed using structured questionnaires and 6 museum workers were engaged in face to face interviews. Secondary data was collected from the museum registry. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. The findings provide evidence that the purpose of visit for majority of the visitors was educational. Most learnt about the museum through word of mouth, and most were dissatisfied with the presentation and interpretation of museum products. The satisfaction of the visitors significantly affects the decisions of the visitors to revisit the museum (χ2=149.961, df<4, p=0.000). Previous visit has a significant influence on the return visit (χ2=6.789, df=2 p<0.031). However, it was observed that the museum does not meet the diverse needs of visitors; it is poorly marketed and products are poorly presented and interpreted to the visitors. The museum management needs to improve on its marketing strategies, diversify its products as well as embrace competitive strategies of interpreting and presenting their products and should involve the local communities.
Keywords: Museum, Experience, Satisfaction, Visitation.
Contact: Mary Wanjiku David, AIC Itigo Girls, Uasin Gishu,
To cite this article: Mary Wanjiku David; Enhancing Visitor Experience in Museums to Increase Visitation., Journal of African Studies in Educational Management and Leadership, Vol. 7.2, pp, 47-61
Available online December 2016
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