Tourists’ satisfaction in Malaysia’s cultural museums: key elements that captive tourists

Cultural museums play a vital role in preserving a nation’s heritage, fostering cultural exchange, and stimulating tourism. Malaysia, renowned for its rich and diverse cultural heritage, has established numerous cultural museums showcasing the nation's multifaceted history, traditions, and art forms. However, there has been a noticeable decline in visitor numbers to Malaysia's cultural museums, a trend largely influenced by the experiences visitors have during their visits. This study focuses on examining most appreciated element from the tourists' experiences at Malaysia’s cultural museums by analyzing their perceptions of various spatial components within the museums. Data was collected from 381 respondents via a questionnaire survey, with statements addressing four key elements: education, escape, aesthetics, and entertainment. Survey results reveal that the aesthetic element was the most appreciated by respondents, while the escape element was the least valued. A significant portion of the respondents were from younger age groups, which tend to have a strong appreciation for aesthetics. Conversely, nearly a third of respondents visited museums for work-related purposes, contributing to entertainment being the least appreciated element.