| Abstract [eng] |
According to authors that analyze concept of cultural tourism (Richards, 2002; Csapo, 2012 and others), culture has become an essential element of tourism and cultural tourism is considered to be the biggest and the most rapidly growing segment of tourism. Richins (1997), Gentile et al. (2007) claim that emotional connection between the customer and the organization is formed through formation of customer experience. Ritchie et al. (2011), McCormick (2012) and other scholars widely explore customer experience in tourism service sector, nevertheless there is a lack of literature on cultural tourism service user experience. Because of this reason, master thesis aims to explore experience formation specifically for cultural tourism service users. First chapter analyses Lithuanian and foreign scholars’ works on cultural tourism service user experience formation, the context of the problem is analyzed. Second chapter – analysis of cultural tourism service user experience formation theoretical aspects: concept of customer experience is analyzed, customer value proposition models are provided, cultural tourism concept and cultural tourist profile is analyzed, aspects that influence cultural tourism service user experience are identified and the model of customer experience formation for cultural tourism service users is constructed. In the third chapter the methodology of empirical research is constructed aiming to identify strong and weak points of customer experience at M. K. Ciurlionis Art Museum and Devils' Museum. Fourth chapter provides the results of empirical research, identifies strengths and weaknesses of customer experience at the museums studied, and presents recommendations on customer experience strengthening. Findings of the thesis. The Model of Customer Experience Formation for Cultural Tourism Service Users was constructed. Strong and weak points of customer experience at the museums studied were identified and cultural tourism service user experience strengthening recommendations for both museums were formulated. |
