Museum Services in the Era of Tourism

Abstract

The environment in which museums operate has changed a lot over the last decades especially with the use of social media. Museums are changing, trying to be more visitor-oriented instead of being merely traditional institutions that mainly gather and exhibit objects. The word museum is Greek in origin and comes from the Greek “Mouseion”, the temple of the Muses, the goddesses of inspiration and learning and patrons of the arts. Muses inspired the creation of literature and the arts, and they were considered the source of knowledge. The Greek national museums and the Greek monuments are resources of viable growth that lend surplus value in the tourist destination, while they contribute to the economic growth in the form of high-level tourist products. Aiming at the safeguarding of the environment, the natural resources and the growth of local economy, alternative forms of tourist growth appeared over the recent years. The Greek economy is based on tourism, which is closely related to the natural environment and the cultural and archaeological wealth of the country. In other words, the natural environment and the Greek antiquities constitute a basic parameter of tourist growth in the region, and through tourism, the public institutions and the private sector can collaborate to achieve economic, social, cultural and environmental profits. The promotion of Greek cultural identity is a major issue since Greece has been internationally recognized in cultural terms. It is believed that public museums could become one of the central axes of cultural development and the central axis of tourism development. The satisfaction of museum visitors is an important element of marketing and contributes decisively to the success of the museum’s mission.