How Physical Environment Impacts Visitors’ Behavior in Learning-Based Tourism—The Example of Technology Museum

Abstract

Visiting a museum is a popular activity in the tourism industry, especially in cultural and learning-based tourism. To help plan museums effectively, this study investigated the underlying motivations and constraints and their impact on the perceived physical environment and visitor satisfaction toward a museum. The results suggest that the physical environment of museums serves as an axial mediator among motivations, constraints and visitor satisfaction. Six essential factors of physical environment are affected by motivations and constraints, further affecting visitor satisfaction in various patterns, in which architectural planning, exhibition, external environment, and entrance are clearly affected by basic motivations and constraints. Under motivations, family education and self-development are the most two profound influences on enhancing visitor satisfaction through the physical environment. Shops and café are worth special attention in meeting motivation of attractiveness, occasion and social interaction. The results could support the planning and design of a satisfactory museum.