Although museum visitor experience and satisfaction have received growing attention in academic research, the impact of new elements of the museum service model, including AR and VR, on visitor experience and satisfaction remains an unexplored area of investigation. This paper aims to fill this gap in the literature by investigating how the innovation of museum service aspects (exhibition content, VR and AR, general organisation, and reception staff) can enhance visitor experiences and satisfaction, opening spaces for innovating museum service models. A quantitative survey methodology combining correlation analysis, Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA), descriptive statistics, and cluster analysis was conducted on a random sample of 739 museum visitors experiencing ‘The Ara It Was’ project at the Pacis Museum in Rome. Discussion and conclusions contribute to the debate on the disruptive power of AR and VR and its impact on service model innovation for cultural heritage museums. The paper proposes theoretical advances, has managerial implications for future improvements in museum management, and opens Museum 4.0 academic debate.

This paper investigates the influence of local context on World Heritage Site (WHS) management. Building on the managerial literature about natural WHSs, protected areas and sustainable tourism, it explores the effects that tourism-driven socio-economic conditions have on stakeholder engagement in decision-making and governance both inside and neighboring a WHS. Mixed methods and tools collected case evidence at the lowest administrative level in Italy's Dolomites natural WHS. Results show that UNESCO recognition seems to be creating a deeper divide between areas inside and those outside the WHS than already produced by the diversity of tourism development types. Within the WHS and where tourism-driven socio-economic well-being is already high, there has been reinforced stakeholder indirect participation in decision-making and raised expectations of further development. In contrast, it seems not to have affected the area outside the WHS or marginal destinations, either in terms of participatory decision-making, or of development, or of tourism as a development lever. There is strong belief in the value of WHS status, relatively little opposition to regulation, but a need for reduced reliance on financial incentives, and a better business culture. Preliminary managerial recommendations and suggestions on involving stakeholders more effectively are given.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of intersectoriality within the cultural, creative and tourism industries in Italian local development. Design/methodology/approach: The research design builds on the literature on culture-led development and adapts the established body of empirical research on industrial districts to tourism and cultural development. The quantitative analysis of intersectoral specialization and the clustering of cultural, creative and tourism industries in Italian local labour systems (LLSs) combines specialization indexes with principal component analysis and cluster analysis. Findings: About 50 per cent of Italian LLSs specialize in the economy of culture and tourism, mostly in material culture, although tourism has the highest level of specialization. There are three main patterns of agglomeration and clustering. The largest cluster is that of the cultural heritage and content and information industries, which coincides with the systems of medium-sized and large cities, followed by systems of tourism monoculture. The smallest is made up of material culture, typically made-in-Italy sectors. The tourism and material culture industries are monocultures – where tourism agglomerates, but material culture does not. Research limitations/implications: The analytical approach is quantitative and based on Istat’s Industry and Trade (2012) data set. Further studies are needed on the interaction between agglomerated specialized industries. Originality/value: This paper contributes to the theoretical and political debate on the value generation and innovation potential of culture and creativity, and bridges the knowledge domains of local development and managerial studies. Novel statistical evidence on intersectoral specialization and the clustering of the cultural, creative and tourism sectors in Italy at the inter-municipal level is provided. This study helps to identify an Italian model of the economy of culture and tourism.