Textual Analysis as a Method of Identifying Museum Attributes Perceived by Tourists: An Exploratory Analysis of Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum in Spain

Abstract

Objective: The identification of museum attributes is essential when analyzing the different factors that attract visitors and studying it in order to improve efficiency in museums, as this could affect the use of funds for developing a marketing campaign to attract visitors. This paper offers a literature review that considers museum visits and museum attributes before proposing a methodology.

Methodology: The use of big data applied to tourism research is vital, as it allows for the consideration of the opinions of museum visitors. The case study in this paper is the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum in Madrid, Spain. The method for identifying the attributes consists of a textual analysis of TripAdvisor reviews written in English (2500) and Spanish (2500). The information is captured using WebHarvy and is analysed using Nvivo12.

Results: After analyzing the thousand words that were used most frequently, the main attributes were detected, as well as whether the perception of these attributes was positive or negative. The museum’s location and the building itself were the most highly valued attributes. Other attributes that were valued positively were the peripheral services of the museum, such as its food and beverage services.

Limitations: The main limitation is that TripAdvisor is not an entirely reliable source of information, so it will be necessary to obtain more reviews to analyse.

Practical implications: The identification of attributes allows for improved decision making,
as well as facilitating a better understanding of the museum’s visitors’ perceptions.
Being aware of these aspects enables the modification of the museum’s services through
proposals for changes and improvements.