More is better! Current issues and challenges for museum audience development: A literature review

Abstract

The purpose of this conceptual paper is to investigate how research on museum management has been approaching audience development and community engagement in our society – especially in Europe, where the development of democratic participation is proclaimed as a shared commitment. This literature review endeavours to grasp both the state of the art in museum audience research and audience development and the most relevant issues emerging in the scientific debate on this topic in the last 20 years (1995-2015). After analysing the main challenges concerning the innovation of the museum sector, the paper discusses the gaps in visitor studies and museum communication, making suggestions for future research and practice. In the field of museum marketing, this review tries to build a theoretical framework linking changes in audiences, museum role, visitor studies and strategies for visitor involvement, to support cultural institutions in achieving their mission and maximizing value creation.