Millennials and museums : access, experience and participation

Abstract

This study seeks to address the ways and means how millennials feature in museums and what type of experiences they are after, with particular reference to museums in Malta. It explores the dialectic between museums and millennials, highlighting the three elements of access, experience, and participation, and how museums can become inclusive for this category. The focus is on three museums at the centre of the island all of which have a common profile and geographic location. The data collated at various levels of museum management, provided an adequate understanding of how each institution views and understands millennials and, by consequence, what each is doing to engage this cohort. By contrast, the data collated from millennials identified their motivations and expectations of museum experiences. This information was placed within the tourism consumer behaviour theory framework. Trends in the research literature served the purpose of backdrop and reference to both. This study creates an awareness of the potential significance of this generation to these museums, their expectations and what would attract them to visit. Museums willing to transform and align their offer with the identity of millennials will ensure their relevance to this generation in the years to come.