Increasing Visitor Engagement during Interpretive Walking Tours

Abstract

This study examined the effect of living-history interpretation (i.e., first-person, third-person, no living history) and question type (i.e., relevant, dissonant, customary) on engagement of visitors during walking tours at a heritage site. One hundred seventy-six visitors participated in the study. Visitors completed a measure of engagement immediately following each of six stops during the walking tour. A measure of guest familiarity of the context of the site was also taken. Results from linear mixed-modeling revealed a three-factor interaction effect, familiarity by question type by living-history interpretation. Engagement of visitors is impacted by guest familiarity with the context, the living-history interpretation type, and the question type posed. Results might guide interpretation professionals in customizing interpretation experiences to stage more engaging interpretation experiences.