Museums And Their Tourists Audiences

If we consider museums as representative of national culture and identity, it is interesting to see how these institutions present their collections to both national and international visitors. Duncan (1995: 6) suggests that conceptions of democracy and equality that nations wish to convey may be seen through the way their national museums present their collections. This research has been conducted within this context. The aim of this study is to look at how countries such as the U.K and France present their democratic values through the way their museums welcome foreign visitors. Tourist audiences however are difficult to define due to their diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds (Reeves in Galard, 2000). The main research question is: "does a democratic approach to learning, reflected through museum policies and practice in the UK show foreign and national visitors welcomed on an equal footing?" I will also take examples from French institutions such as The Louvre and Centre Pompidou. This study was conducted in March-April 2011, and the method employed was mainly field observation in the different museums. I also analysed museum brochures, text panels and website content, and I finally looked into specialised literature on museum studies, museum education and tourism. This research shows that 63% of visitors to the British Museum are foreigners; however the educational programmes and activities that the museum offers tend not to reflect this predominance of non-nationals. One of the main reasons is the language barrier, but political, historical and cultural aspects can also prevent tourists from enjoying the museums to the full. These issues make us question equality within museums, and as a result of this study, I would like to suggest ways of welcoming foreign visitors and providing for their special needs. Thus, this paper would propose a more democratic approach to learning and education for both national and international visitors at the museum, and this in its turn would greatly benefit all.

Keywords: Democracy, education and learning, equality and access, tourism, post-colonialism.