MUSEUMS AND TOURISM: VISITORS MOTIVATIONS AND EMOTIONAL INVOLVEMENT

To date, much less is known about the nature and scope of tourism experience at the museums in Jordan. Therefore, this study seeks to investigate the motives and emotional involvement for local and international visitors traveling to a sample of major museums in Jordan. A questionnaire was administered to domestic and international tourists in main 8 museums in Amman, Irbid, Madaba, and salt (N = 203). The findings of the study reveal that exploration was the main motivational factor for visitors traveling to museums in Jordan. The study further indicates that pleasure obtained from the visit to the museums is the major emotional involvement dimension for the respondents. Furthermore, the study shows that relaxation is a significant predictor for the involvement dimensions: pleasure, importance and loyalty. These findings enhance our understanding of tourism experience at museums in Jordan and they could be used to improve the overall tourism products and offerings in Jordan.