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Museum Management and Curatorship

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Evaluating the experiences and benefits gained by

tourists visiting a socio‐industrial heritage museum: An
application of ASEB grid analysis to Blists hill open‐air
museum, the Ironbridge Gorge museum, United Kingdom
a b
Alison J. Beeho & Richard C. Prentice
a
Visiting Lecturer in Department of Hospitality & Tourism Management , Queen Margaret
College , Clerwood Terrace, Edinburgh, EH12 8TS, UK
b
Senior Lecturer in Department of Hospitality & Tourism Management , Queen Margaret
College , Clerwood Terrace, Edinburgh, EH12 8TS, UK
Published online: 14 Aug 2009.

To cite this article: Alison J. Beeho & Richard C. Prentice (1995) Evaluating the experiences and benefits gained by tourists
visiting a socio‐industrial heritage museum: An application of ASEB grid analysis to Blists hill open‐air museum, the Ironbridge
Gorge museum, United Kingdom, Museum Management and Curatorship, 14:3, 229-251, DOI: 10.1080/09647779509515445

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Evaluating the Experiences and Benefits

Gained by Tourists Visiting A
Socio-Industrial Heritage Museum: An
Application of ASEB Grid Analysis to
Blists Hill Open-Air Museum, The
Ironbridge Gorge Museum, United
Kingdom
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ALISON J. BEEHO AND RICHARD C. PRENTICE

Introduction
Museums are a popular component of the attraction-base and tourism resource
of a destination area. The supply of museums, coupled with increasing interest in
the past, led in the 1980s to the growth of the so-called heritage industry
(Hewison, 1987). Between 1970 and 1988, the British Tourist Authority recorded
the opening of 570 new museums, and the number of new museums of different
types opening each year remains relatively constant at just over 20. In contrast to
this growth in supply, the volume of visits to museums recorded in 1988 was only
up 12% on 1976 (Middleton, 1990). As such, prior to the current recession, the
supply of museums was growing at a faster rate than that of demand. At the same
time, museums in Britain have been witnessing a change in their conventional
role (Vergo, 1989; Rodger, 1987; Middleton, 1990; Yale, 1991; Lumley, 1988). A
change to become effectively visitor orientated is being advocated as the only
way museums will be able to survive the changes influencing them over the next
decade.
The notion of a museum as a collection for scholarly educational use has been
challenged (Lumley, 1988) by the need to offer to visitors an 'involving
experience' of the past. Visitors to museums frequently seek a variety of
experiences and not simply to acquire information (Seagram et al., 1993; Hein,
1990; Durant, 1992; Shafernich, 1993; Goddard, 1994). Most people visiting a
museum see it primarily as a social event, rather than an educational trip (Uzzell,
1989; Herbert et al., 1989; McManus, 1993) and this has implications for museum
exhibit design and the whole nature of the museum product offered. Museums
must now balance the competing visitor needs of education and entertainment
(Yale, 1991). This has led museums into the realm of experiential consumption
(Lofman, 1991), cultural imagining and memories (Macdonald, 1992; McManus,
1993), whereby museum managers must consider the 'experiences' visitors have
 230 Tourists Visiting A Socio-industrial Heritage Museum
while visiting the museum in terms of understanding, anticipating and satisfying
customer needs and wants (Rodger, 1987; Stevens, 1989). The elements of
experiential consumption include not only the settings facilitated, but also
consumer thoughts, feelings, expressive behaviours, activities, evaluation and
stimulation through sensation, and the differing market segments (customer
groups) which can be derived in this manner (Prentice, 1994; Wickens, 1994). As
such, museums are having to become fundamentally visitor-orientated and
'satisfaction in value for money terms is achieved by attracting a visitor's
attention, stimulating interest, conveying information and thereby creating an
experience' (Middleton, 1990; p. 13). In the competitive world of contemporary
museums, they must essentially provide people with the sorts of visit and
experiences they want, and adapt and improve the experience offered, so that
visitor numbers are maintained and improved (Johnson and Thomas, 1990).
Hooper-Greenhill (1987) described how there is an emerging consumer who
wants 'an individualised, personalised, participative experience'. On a wider
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canvas this is part of postmodern consumption (Doherty et al., 1992). In this

respect, in responding to the forces of change influencing museums, the modern
museum's core product is that of the experience it provides (Goodall, 1993). As
such, the only way that museums will survive in the future is by creating
worthwhile experiences for visitors (Middleton, 1990). Failure to deliver
appropriate experiences and benefits to visitors can lead to the commercial failure
of a museum in the increasingly competitive market.
Traditionally, museums are perceived to have tended to ignore many of their
publics, and, in particular, the viewpoints and expectations of visitors, and have
not sought an understanding of the experience of the visitor to the museum.
Stevens (1989) criticised museums for not paying due regard to the needs,
demands, aspirations and sophistications of visitors. The 'take it or leave it'
experience is still available in many museums (Middleton, 1990, p. 49). Little is
known about what visitors experience or consume and the benefits they believe
they have gained from visiting museums and other heritage attractions (Prentice
and Light, 1994). An exception is the study of the visitor experiences at Black
Gold—the Rhondda Heritage Park in South Wales (Prentice et al., 1993).
Overall, however, it is unlikely that other classes of suppliers know so little about
their customers and their individual needs, wants and motivations (Prentice,
1993 a). Museums, therefore, need to take the time to understand both their
visitors and the requirements of their potential visitors, and the recent move
towards customer perception auditing (Merriman, 1991; Johns and Clark, 1993;
Seagram et al., 1993) indicates the beginnings of such an awareness.
The need to focus on consumer needs and motivations for product development
in the commercial world is well grounded in theoretical work, notably in
consumer behaviour literature focusing on products other than museum
experiences. For instance, Klenosky et al. (1993) propose the 'means-end' chain
to understand ski destination choice behaviour. The means-end chain focuses on
how consumers think about products in terms of the product's physical
characteristics or attributes, the consequences of product consumption (perceived
benefits and costs) and the personal values or beliefs that consumers seek to
achieve and which form the underlying preferences for a purchase decision.
Similarly, the 'expectancy' theory developed in social psychology literature
(Atkinson & Burch, 1972; Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975; Lawler, 1973; Ajzen & Driver,
 ALISON J. BEEHO AND RICHARD C. PRENTICE 231

1992) proposes that people engage in activities in specific settings to realise a group
of psychological outcomes which are known, expected and valued. As such,
people undertake certain leisure activities in order to meet certain goals or satisfy
certain needs of the individual. These needs may vary by type of leisure pursuit
as well as by individual (Prentice, 1993b), even between similar types of heritage
consumption. Manning (1986) has also stressed that most human behaviour is
aimed at need satisfaction or attainment of certain goals. Museums must therefore
aim to meet individual visitor needs and wants and provide an experience that not
only meets visitor expectations but also raises their expectations. Visitor needs
must be met by providing what will have perceived to have been an enjoyable,
enriching, satisfying and beneficial experience.
In providing a worthwhile experience for visitors interpretation plays a vital
role. Interpretation is in this context the process of packaging and presenting
history, by various means, to the consumer (Ashworth, 1990; Ashworth and
Larkham, 1994). The more recent means of interpretation adopted by museums
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have included live interpretation, interactive displays, dark rides and other
technology-based experiences. Such interpretative techniques are more stimulat-
ing and interactive for visitors in comparison to conventional museum exhibit
designs, namely, glass cabinet displays of artefacts and information panels.
Current museums literature advocates that in order to fulfil an educational role
by providing fresh knowledge for visitors, museums also have to entertain
(Fleming, 1986; Shafernich, 1993). Interpretation is therefore important as it has
the capacity to affect the experiences and ultimately also the benefits to be gained
from a visit to a museum. Museums must now use their collections both to
educate and entertain its public—to entertain so as to educate. This is clearly
different from a purely entertainment role, and should not be confused with the
latter. Achievement of this objective requires both knowledge of the different
interpretative techniques available and the ability to orchestrate them. Visitor
needs and interest must be at the heart of museum interpretative provision if such
provision is to be effective (Uzzell, 1989), and messages and exhibits are more
likely to be understood if museums take more time to understand the character
and motivations of their visitors.
The role of the museum interpreter, therefore, is to stimulate interest, to help
visitors understand the resource being interpreted, and to provide an experience
which appeals to emotions and other feelings, as well as the imagination and
intellect. It is also to provide an experience which is beneficial, based on
consumer needs and wants, and one which inspires people of all ages to return or
to visit a similar attraction. At its most immediate, interpretation should imbue
the visitor with a sense of discovery and create an element of wonder about the
resource being interpreted. It is the creation of a worthwhile experience, rather
than just the preservation of the artefacts, which provides the basis for effective
interpretation (Goodey, 1993), thereby educating through entertaining. Different
museum styles, or museographies, offer alternative settings designed to facilitate
experiences such as resonance, hope, inspiration, wonder, liberation, cultural
empowerment and self-reflection (Vergo, 1989; Hooper-Greenhill, 1992; Talley,
1992; Fitzgerald, 1994; Harrison, 1994). What is needed is a thorough
understanding of visitor motivations and experiences. To this end, this paper
describes a case study of the exploration of visitor experiences and benefits at a
museum interpreting social and industrial history of nineteenth century
 232 Tourists Visiting A Socio-industrial Heritage Museum
Shropshire, namely, Blists Hill Open Air Museum (The Ironbridge Gorge
Museum) in the Ironbridge Gorge, with those experiences and benefits analysed
and presented by means of a new form of analysis, the ASEB Grid analysis,
which is here proposed as a new consumer-orientated management tool for
museums in that it addresses the experiential core product of attractions.

ASEB Grid Analysis

ASEB (Activities, Settings, Experiences, Benefits) Grid analysis is based on
conventional SWOT analysis and the Manning-Haas Demand Hierarchy
(Manning, 1986), and is applied to aid consumer-led product development and
promotion at museums. As a management tool, it will become invaluable as
museums seek to become more visitor-orientated, focusing on the needs and
motivations of their visitors and in providing and maintaining satisfying
experiences for visitors so that they will enjoy their visit and come again. As
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such, ASEB Grid analysis, by focusing on the experiences and benefits which
visitors gain at the museum, also supplements the basic socio-demographic
analysis more commonly undertaken at museums.
ASEB Grid analysis is based on the elements of conventional SWOT analysis,
whereby management attention is directed at the strengths and weaknesses of the
organisation, and also the opportunities and threats facing the organisation in the
wider market (Middleton, 1988; Holloway and Plant, 1992). To this notion, the
levels of the Manning-Haas Demand Hierarchy are added in order to provide a
more consumer-based approach than that inherent in conventional SWOT
analysis. Manning (1986) and the work of Haas et al. (1980), Driver et al. (1991)
and more recently, Prentice (1993b) and Prentice and Light (1994), have extended
the behavioural approach proposed in consumer behaviour literature (that people
undertake certain activities to fulfil their needs or attain certain goals). By
extending this approach, Manning (1986) has recognised four levels or
hierarchies of demand for outdoor recreation, namely, demand for a particular
leisure 'activity' (Level 1), in a particular recreational.'setting' (Level 2) and these
then link with the 'experiences' gained in that setting (Level 3) and with the
ultimate 'benefits' that flow from the satisfying experience (Level 4). As such,
this is essentially a sequential hierarchy of recreational demand. The levels of
demand described by Manning (1986) can be ordered into a hierarchy, as shown
in Table 1.
Level 1 of the Manning-Haas Demand Hierarchy, that of activities, relates to
the actual demand for specific leisure activities. This level has been used by the
present authors to review demand for visiting Blists Hill Open Air Museum;
namely, the activities undertaken and specific motives for visiting the museum
and visitor perceptions of satisfaction with the activities undertaken. Level 2 of
the hierarchy, that of settings, represents the various contexts in which activities
take place, including environmental, social and management settings, and also,
the visitor's expectations of the settings for the activity being pursued. Since most
activities are setting-dependent, in particular, in the case of an open-air museum
such as Blists Hill, activity and setting interact in determining the nature of the
overall experience (Level 3). Level 3, that of experiences, is understood in terms
of what visitor's 'consume' when undertaking a particular activity in a certain
setting, including thoughts, feelings, reactions, motivations, satisfactions and
 ALISON J. BEEHO AND RICHARD C. PRENTICE 233

Table 1. The Manning—Haas sequential hierarchy of demand

Level of Manning-Haas Example:

hierarchy of demand (From Manning, 1986)

Level 1:
Activities Wilderness hiking
Level 2:
Settings
A. Environmental setting Rugged terrain
B. Social setting Few people
C. Managerial setting No restrictions
Level 3:
Experiences Risk taking
Challenge
Physical exercise
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Level 4:
Benefits
A. Personal Enhanced self-esteem
B. Societal Increased commitment to conservation

desired psychological outcomes (Manning, 1986; Prentice et ah, 1993). Visitors'

participation in a particular leisure activity will typically consist of multiple
experiences. Through qualitative, in-depth interviewing, visitors at Blists Hill
were asked to describe what sort(s) or experience(s) Blists Hill had provided for
them and what thoughts had come into their minds or how they had responded
to particular exhibits in the museum.
Level 4 of the hierarchy, that of benefits, considers the ultimate benefits,
psychological or societal, which people feel they gain from satisfying experiences
and participation in a certain leisure activity. Visitors were asked how they felt
they have benefited from making their visit, and how they thought other people
in their visiting party may have benefited. These benefits or experiential
outcomes are typically measured by reported satisfactions with a visit to an
attraction (Prentice, 1993a). The survey at Blists Hill questioned visitors as to
their overall satisfaction with the museum and the particular exhibits or aspects
of the museum that they found most satisfying, whether or not visitors felt they
had benefited from their visit; ways in which the visitor experience could be
made more satisfying for visitors; how Blists Hill compared to other similar
attractions which visitors may have visited; and if visitors would strongly
recommend the attraction to a friend or relative.
Based on the elements of SWOT analysis and the levels of the Manning-Haas
Demand Hierarchy, the ASEB Grid analysis is defined conceptually as a matrix,
as shown in Table 2. ASEB Grid analysis is undertaken to analyse qualitative
studies of visitor experiences and benefits at museums. The analysis is conducted
by reference to each level of the Manning-Haas demand hierarchy (Activities,
Settings, Experiences, Benefits) in turn for each element of SWOT analysis
(Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats). As such, analysis is undertaken
for each row by each column of the matrix outlined in Table 2, progressing
 234 Tourists Visiting A Sodo-industrial Heritage Museum
Table 2. ASEB grid analysis and cell identifiers

Activities Settings Experiences Benefits

Strengths SA SS SE SB
weaknesses WA WS WE WB
Opportunities OA OS OE OB
Threats TA TS TE TB

sequentially from cell SA to SB, WA to WB, OA to OB and TA to TB. In this

regard, the strengths and weaknesses of the activities, settings, experiences and
benefits gained at a museum are evaluated from a consumer perspective, and
similarly also the opportunities and threats facing the museum.
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Ironbridge Gorge
The Ironbridge Gorge in Shropshire is a designated World Heritage Site. It is an
area which is rich in the remains of past industrial processes and was once the
heartland of the Industrial Revolution in Britain. The famous Iron Bridge over
the River Severn is the focal point of the Gorge, and, built of cast iron in 1779,
it was the first bridge to be made completely of iron and is thus a symbol of
Britain's technological achievements in the late eighteenth century (Cossons and
Trinder, 1979). It became so well known that it gave its name to the settlement
which grew up after its construction. The Gorge has been the setting for many
famous historical events and technological innovations, of which the construc-
tion of the Iron Bridge is the most famous, and their influence upon the way in
which iron was subsequently manufactured and used, and consequently, upon
the whole course of the Industrial Revolution in Britain (reliable supplies of high
quality iron were needed for the manufacture of engines, machinery and building
components for rapidly expanding industries) was immense. Ironbridge had the
combined advantages for industry of ready access to raw materials, water power,
transport links and skilled iron masters and entrepreneurs, such as the Darby
family which had settled in Ironbridge and exercised a profound influence on the
industrial and social developments of the time. For instance, Abraham Darby II
brought coke-smelted iron into the mainstream of the traditional iron trade,
removing the industry's reliance on ever more limited supplies of charcoal. For
most of the second half of the eighteenth century, more iron was produced in
Shropshire than in any other county in Britain (Trinder, 1981). Hence,
Ironbridge became famed as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution in
Britain, and during the late eighteenth century, when Ironbridge was one of the
largest producers of iron in Britain, the Gorge was described as an area where:

Huge blast furnaces belched smoke and flames into the night, and hammers
rang on iron against the roar of bellows. Lime kilns gave out an eerie light, coke
hearths smoked and great white gashes were cut into the surrounding hillsides.
Contemporary descriptions evoke images of a hell on earth, the workers
emerging blackened and tired, slaves to the constant demands of the furnaces.
(Clark, 1993; p. 36).
 ALISON J. BEEHO AND RICHARD C. PRENTICE 235

For decades after the birth of the Industrial Revolution, the Ironbridge Gorge
was one of Britain's most desolate industrial scars with a 'landscape of Romantic
decay', with the remains of old blast furnaces, coal mines, railways and scars of
limestone quarrying (Clark, 1993). As a result of increasing interest in industrial
archaeology and concern over the preservation of industrial sites, the Gorge was
declared a Conservation Area in 1967 and the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust
(IGMT) was set up to care for objects of industrial and historical interest
throughout the whole area. The museums in the Gorge were the product of
increasing interest in historic industrial sites, but there were, however, too many
sites to be covered by a single museum and therefore several sites were
designated, spread over four square miles. The group of museums are collectively
referred to under the core branding of The Ironbridge Gorge Museum and are
operated by the IGMT. The Trust is an independent educational charity and
relies on the money raised by ticket sales to preserve and protect the sites. A
'Passport Ticket' allows visitors admission to all the main museum sites and is
valid for an indefinite period until each site has been visited once. The Ironbridge
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Gorge Museum attracts approximately 300,000 visitors each year, although

visitors to the Ironbridge Gorge itself are probably twice that number.
Instead of trying to recreate industrial relics in a conventional museum setting
with labels, an open-air museum was established at Blists Hill in 1973 centred
around the old blast furnaces and brickworks already there. Objects which might
otherwise have been scrapped were dismantled and moved to the 42-acre site at
Blists Hill and re-erected in the context of a recreated nineteenth century
('Victorian') village incorporating houses, shops and local industries. Promo-
tional literature on Blists Hill describes how visitors can 'walk along gas lit
streets, past railway sidings, yards and pigsties, shops and offices, hear the hiss of
steam and the clank of machinery, to taste the butcher's pies and drink beer in the
pub'. Among the exhibits, visitors can change modern money into old-fashioned
money at the bank, and visit the chemist's shop, doctor's surgery, old fashioned
sweet shop or baker. Demonstrators show to visitors the Victorian trades of
candle maker, tinsmith, plasterer, key and locksmith, printer and woodworker, as
well as a working wrought ironworks. Archaeological monuments which can be
seen include the Blists Hill Furnaces, an engine base and coal shafts, a brick and
tile works, the Shropshire Canal and the Hay Inclined Plane. On the domestic
side, visitors can contrast living standards of the area at that time: the basic living
of a family of nine in a 'squatter's cottage', as compared to the more comfortable
living standards in the adjacent Toll House. Blists Hill makes use of live
interpretation in the form of costumed demonstrators in exhibits, but the
function of the demonstrators, however, is not role play. Instead, they act as
'talking labels' to explain a building's history and to demonstrate traditional craft
and industrial processes, while providing an enjoyable, stimulating and
interactive experience which encourages visitors to learn in an informal and fun
manner. This form of interpretation is markedly different from that adopted for
the other Ironbridge Gorge Museum sites which adopt a more traditional
museum style.
The other museum sites open to the public in the Ironbridge Gorge include:
the Iron Bridge and its toll house; the Museum of the River and Visitor Centre;
the Museum of Iron, the Darby Furnace (where Abraham Darby I's original
furnace can be seen), the Elton Gallery and Rosehill House (once used by
 236 Tourists Visiting A Sodo-indttstrial Heritage Museum
members of the Darby family and now restored to an iron master's house of
1848); the Jackfield Tile Museum; the Coalport China Museum and the Tar
Tunnel. There are also a number of smaller sites and monuments in the complex
which can be visited, for example, the Quaker Burial Ground, the Bedlam
Furnaces, Coalport Bridge and the Wharfage Limekilns.

Survey
ASEB Grid analysis at Blists Hill was based for the most part on 42 semi-
structured in-depth interviews of domestic tourists (defined as residents of the
British Isles and spending at least one night away from home) undertaken as they
left the site. The interviews were conducted between July and September 1994.
The survey sought primarily to explore visitor motivations, satisfactions and, in
particular, the experiences and benefits gained (expressed in their own words)
from their visits to Blists Hill. The field work also sought to investigate whether
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the experiences and benefits which they gained from visiting the Museum varied
significantly from those which the Museum staff and managers perceived
themselves to be offering through their museum site interpretation. This is an
issue similarly raised by Pearce (1989) who questions whether there is a conflict
of purpose between museum provider and customer. The Museum component
was achieved by an in-depth interview with the IGMT as to their interpretative
objectives, combined with semi-structured interviews of eight museum staff at
Blists Hill (exhibit demonstrators who have face to face daily contact with
visitors to the museum). The exploratory interviews were also supplemented by
observation work, whereby 'snippets' of visitor conversations and spontaneous
reactions to exhibits were recorded. This method was used by McManus (1989)
although in the present context the technology of recording differed as it was
necessary to observe in turn various parts of the whole attraction. The objective
of the interviews and observations was to provide insight into, rather than
quantitative measurement of, visitor experiences.
The ASEB Grid formed the framework for analysing the in-depth interviews
whereby the findings were analysed and arranged into the cells of the ASEB Grid
(outlined in Table 2). The key points identified in the ASEB Grid (Table 3) are
discussed in the following texts, with reference to the subheadings to the cells
identified in Table 2. Although the matrix is read by row, the information was
collected by column headings, thus in effect 'laddering' respondents up the
means-end chain. The intended rows of the ASEB Grid were not made known
to the respondents.

CASE STUDY: APPLYING THE ASEB GRID TO BLISTS HILL OPEN AIR MUSEUM
1. Strengths
Strengths: Activities (SA)
Blists Hill Open Air Museum is one of the main attractions visited by people as
part of a tourist trip to the Ironbridge Gorge. Indeed, from the visitor survey
conducted, 19 out of the 42 respondents made it clear that apart from Blists Hill,
they had not yet visited any of the other museum sites. However, rather than
being seen in the context of the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution in Britain
 ALISON J. BEEHO AND RICHARD C. PRENTICE 237

(mentioned by only 5 out of the 42 tourist visitors interviewed), Blists Hill is

appreciated, appropriately, for its Victorian period attractions. The museum has
selling points in the form of a Victorian school, traditional squatter's cottage,
tollhouse, doctor's surgery, bank and other Victorian shops, and unique selling
points in the form of a working candle factory, a working wrought iron-works
and the Hay Incline Plane. As such, Blists Hill is seen as a multi-attribute
product offering something for everyone, from fairground rides and farm
animals to entertain the children, to an insight into the domestic living standards
of Victorian Shropshire and industrial archaeological interests for the more
technically-minded visitor. Aspects that respondents liked about their 'day out'
included, in particular, specific exhibits such as the chemist's shop, doctor's
surgery, squatter's cottage and steam engine. Visitors commented that there were
lots of things to see at the museum and they particularly enjoyed the aspects that
stimulated their memories, feelings of nostalgia and an 'authentic' representation
of the era which made the visit seem 'real and alive".
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Although the Museum is attractintg a wide range of tourists including family

groups, those who have personal links with the area, those with a specific interest
in industrial archaeology and 'nostalgia seekers', a common feature of the tourist
visitors interviewed was their interest in this particular type of attraction while
on holiday. Indeed, 33 out of the 42 respondents had visited a similar attraction
during the last two years. However, when asked about their motives for visiting
Blists Hill the more immediate reasons for this interest were more diverse.
Respondents commented that they perceived the Museum as a place to learn
about local history (mentioned by 7 out of the 42 visitors interviewed), as a place
to learn about the history of Victorian times, as a place to have a 'nice day out'
(both mentioned by 6 out of the 42 visitors interviewed), and also as a place to
take children (mentioned by 4 out of the 42 respondents interviewed). Reasons
given for deciding to visit the Museum were also diverse. Although one of the
most frequently mentioned reasons why respondents decided to visit Blists Hill
was because they had been before and wanted to re-visit, this was mentioned by
only 7 out of the 42 tourists interviewed. Repeat visiting was mainly due to the
fact that previous visitors were coming back to the Museum to bring other
friends or relatives who had not previously visited in order to teach them about
the history of the Ironbridge Gorge. Other reasons for making a repeat visit
included to see how the Museum had changed or improved, for something to do
whilst staying locally in the area, out of a specific interest in industrial
archaeology, to use up a passport ticket which had been bought but not
completely utilised, and from having been prompted by an advertisement.
The success of the Museum can be demonstrated by the promise of
recommendations to be made by tourists. Subsequent to their visit, a large
majority of visitors (36 out of the 42 visitors interviewed) stated that they would
recommend a visit to the Museum to their friends and relatives, while a further
6 out of the 42 visitors interviewed stated that they would possibly recommend
a visit to Blists Hill. Word of mouth recommendation may also be seen in the
reasons given for visiting in the first place, and such recommendations by friends
or relatives were mentioned by 6 out of 42 respondents interviewed, a frequency
equal to that for advertising. Furthermore, the semi-structured interviews of
tourist visitors revealed another dimension of success. Visitors who had come to
Blists Hill when the initial decision to visit had been encouraged by another
Downloaded by [Moskow State Univ Bibliote] at 11:59 17 October 2013
Table 3. ASEB grid analysis—case study of Blists Hill Open Air Museum, The Ironbridge Gorge Museum, Shropshire
Activities
Strengths • Part of a wider experience.
• Unique selling points.
• Multi-attribute product.
• Attracts wide range of
visitors.
• Repeat visiting.
• Word of mouth
recommendation.
• Effective advertising.
• High satisfaction levels.
Weaknesses • Declining visitor numbers.
• Visitors find it difficult to
visit all the museum sites.
Dissatisfaction may result
from not having allowed
enough time for visits or
not receiving the 'whole
Ironbridge experience'.
Settings
• Effectively interprets
everyday life.
• Setting is reminiscent,
different, authentic and
working.
• Exhibit demonstrators
provide an interactive,
authentic and informative
setting.
• Generates repeat visits and
good W.O.M.
recommendation.
Dissatisfaction with signs
on and to the site and
authenticity.
Competition from settings
offered at rival like
attractions, especially those
with novel exhibits.
Experiences
• Emotional, reminiscent,
gives comparison and
appreciation of past and
present lifestyles and
provides insight into social
and industrial history.
• Facilitates an educational
experience that is also
enjoyable.
• Demonstrators make the
visitor experience more
satisfying.
• Management objectives
achieved.
• Potential mismatch over
visitor experiences sought
and gained, and
management objectives.
• Experience lacks novelty
and authenticity could be
improved.
• Lacks regional context.
Benefits
• Provides a range of benefits.
• A good day out and
educational. 0.
• Stimulates comparison with I.
present-day life. a
S-
• Beneficial for younger
people as a longer term
benefit.
• Two-way beneficial
experience for visitors and
staff alike. I
Benefits are largely limited
to those that have
experienced the way of life
presented. Younger people
find it difficult to
understand past lifestyles.
 Opportunities Build on current strengths.
Extend range of activities
and exhibits to provide
novelty.
Continue to develop village
as a working and 'living'
community.
Reinforce essence of whole
Ironbridge experience in
marketing efforts.
Encourage wider visiting in
Downloaded by [Moskow State Univ Bibliote] at 11:59 17 October 2013
Encourage and promote as
a setting for memory
prompting.
Provide novel and authentic
setting and exhibits.
Provide more factual
information using different
interpretative techniques.
Build on strong experiential The museum offers benefits
product. to a range of types of
Focus development of visitor. These benefits
experiences on memories, should be communicated to
novelty and authenticity. potential visitors.
Expand interpretation of
social lives of people during
Industrial Revolution.
Consider use of a variety of
interpretative techniques at
all the museum sites.

area.
Threats Possible saturation in
market, with possible finite
number of museum visitors.
Economic recession.
Not all visitors visit all of
the Ironbridge Museum
sites.
Threat posed by
competitive attractions
offering a similar experience
in particular, those which
offer 'novel' settings.
Limitations of providing an
experience based on
memories.
Traditional skills will die
out.
Experiences gained will lose
authenticity as personal
insight is lost.
Restrictive cost of
interpretative media.
O
Younger people can not w
benefit in same way as m
m
older visitors as they do not 0
have the life experience of,
or understanding of the
lifestyle being interpreted.

n
 240 Tourists Visiting A Socio-industrial Heritage Museum
person (mentioned by 5 out of the 42 respondents) were going away satisfied.
Children and older family members were found to be major influences in
decision making for a significant minority of visitors, especially children who
had been on a previous school visit to the museum, or older people who thought
that a visit to Blists Hill would bring back memories of their youth.

Strengths: Settings (SS)

The semi-structured interviews with the tourist visitors reveal the museum as
offering a setting which effectively interprets everyday lives, providing visitors
with the opportunity to reminisce and gain a sense of 'interaction with time'. The
setting not only facilitates memory stimulation but also provides visitors with a
'different' experience, whereby demonstrators employ traditional skills and
industrial processes which many visitors may have never seen before. As such,
visitors found the Museum to be interesting, educational and authentic. Visitors
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liked in particular, the aspects of the site which they perceived to be both
'authentic' and 'working', since together they make the site a setting which was
perceived by visitors to be an authentic interpretation of life in Victorian times.
As one respondent commented 'we're so accustomed to dead artefacts, this is real
and alive', and it was felt, by another, to portray the authentic 'grimness of the
Industrial Revolution'. The exhibit demonstrators were perceived by visitors to
be the main facilitators of this successful 'authentic' setting (mentioned by 18 out
of the 42 respondents). In the main, visitors liked to have people tell them how
everything worked and to give them background information about each exhibit,
'it made history come alive'. The presence of exhibit demonstrators provides an
effective means of interaction and visitors commented that they enjoyed being
engaged in conversation by them and liked having people to talk to who were
'friendly and cheerful'. In general, the interaction between demonstrators and
visitors facilitates visitor participation and makes people feel more comfortable
about the museum environment. This may also be seen in the favourable
comments from some of the visitors who had visited similar attractions in the last
two years. In particular, Blists Hill was perceived to have more local industries
and a more 'personal, friendly, cosy and more of a community feeling'.
When visitors were asked about which aspects of the Museum they had found
most satisfying, some mentioned the cottages (9 out of the 42 respondents) and
others the steam engine (also mentioned by 9 out of the 42). However, above all,
visitors were most satisfied with those aspects of the Museum which stimulated
their personal memories (mentioned by 16 out of the 42 visitors surveyed). Visitors
liked the aspects of the settings in which they had a personal interest, or could
directly relate to (mentioned by 9 out of the 42 respondents). For example, one
respondent commented that he liked the engineering aspect because he had
personal connections with that industry. In this respect, the most frequently
favoured aspects of the museum were those which were more in the direct
experience or memories of the majority of visitors, but the setting may also be seen
as successful in terms other than expressed satisfaction by visitors. As most visitors
spent longer at the Museum than they had anticipated, this would imply a high
level of satisfaction, especially as some were repeat visitors and every respondent
interviewed said that they would either strongly or possibly recommend a visit
to Blists Hill to a friend or relative who was intending to visit the area.
 ALISON J. BEEHO AND RICHARD C. PRENTICE 241

Strengths: Experiences (SE)

The experiences gained by tourist visitors to Blists Hill may be categorised

summarily as relating to their individual experience of life and work or as an
educational experience casting light on the social and industrial history of a
particular period (in this case, the end of the nineteenth century). In this way, the
Museum offers memory stimuli as well as educational insights beyond the life
experiences of most visitors. Questioning more deeply about the visitor
experience also showed how the tourist visitors themselves interpreted the
particular period which they were experiencing. Their descriptions of the period
included 'the Victorian times', 'the Industrial Revolution and its significance', 'a
bygone age of history', 'hard work', 'stressful', 'terrible', 'a horrible life',
'hardship', 'dreadful' and 'lack of facilities', through to more positive descrip-
tions such as 'better previous days' and 'the good old times'. The visitor
experience at the Museum was found to be emotional with feelings of disbelief,
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amazement, horror, fear, realisation, appreciation, relief, nostalgia, warmth, fun

and familiarity. Frequently the experiences gained by visitors were memory
related (mentioned by 14 out of the 42 tourist visitors interviewed). A trip to
Blists Hill brought back memories principally of the respondent's childhood and
of their family. These memories were stimulated by certain objects in the
Museum buildings such as the tin baths, the clothes mangle, old-fashioned
sweets, and certain tools and industrial equipment, and one respondent described
how the Victorian sweetshop 'took my mind back to my early childhood in the
middle of the 1920s; there were the same sweets in the sweet shop as we bought
when we were children'.
A visit to Blists Hill was also found to be an educational experience for a
significant minority of visitors, 12 out of the 42 respondents. Tourist visitors felt
that they had learnt a lot about the Industrial Revolution and its significance, and
about the living conditions at that time: 'It taught me about a way of life I knew
nothing about. I knew about the Industrial Revolution but not about the life
conditions. I feel I have learnt a lot and identified with their hardships'. Tourist
visitors to the museum recognised that the experience of learning at Blists Hill is
facilitated by the particular museum environment and style of interpretation
used. For example, of the Museum: 'It is a 'hands on ' approach to history. You
do not take things in walking around a museum with glass cabinets. Having
people in the exhibit means that you can ask questions and they can answer any
questions'. In this way, visitors are confronted by a more informal approach to
learning, an experience which is, in the words of one visitor: 'educational and
enjoyable, but not overly educational' (emphasis added). The latter is of course
the essence of good interpretation as identified at the outset of this paper.
The experiences gained by visitors at Blists Hill can also be described by
respondents in terms of the thoughts, feelings and reactions they had at particular
exhibits. The exhibits were reported as having made respondents' thoughts
centre on comparisons with present-day lifestyles and experiences (mentioned by
19 out of the 42 respondents), especially with regard to how working practices
and technology have changed—from banking to manufacturing and mining
industries. Recognition of the hardships endured in past lifestyles made visitors
appreciate what they have today: 'the main feeling was of how hard life was'; T
got a feeling of understanding; putting yourself in their position. We're luckier
 242 Tourists Visiting A Socio-industrial Heritage Museum
these days; it made you realise the stresses in society are less. Life is easier
today'.
Many of the buildings and objects in the exhibits, especially the cottages, shops
and school, stimulated personal memories for visitors (mentioned by 18 out of
the 42 interviewed) of their childhood and family, memories that were of past
everyday life and work. One respondent described memories of her childhood
that had been stimulated by the smell of baking from the baker's shop exhibit: 'it
reminded me of the old days when I was young. My mother always made fresh
bread and home-made jam'. Another respondent recounted memories of her old
school days: CI sat down in the classroom. It took me back to my childhood. It
was so realistic. My husband sat behind me in the classroom and pulled my hair
as he would have done when we were at school. There was even a little girl
skipping in the school yard; it brought back such incredible memories'. A
significant minority of visitors also felt feelings of nostalgia. As such, although
the museum is Victorian in period, elements of its presentation stimulare more
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recent memories as, in effect, anachronisms into the twentieth century. Equally,
these are experiences now past for their experiencers.
A visit to Blists Hill was found to generate an appreciation of the past and
present lifestyles and experiences (mentioned by 10 out of the 42 respondents
interviewed). The visit gave people an insight into what life was like in the past
and the difference today. By showing people how hard it was in past life and
work, it frequently made them appreciate their present-day lifestyle and 'it gives
you relief to be in the life of the future'. The experiences gained at Blists Hill in
particular, focused on an insight into social history, how people used to live and
work at the end of the nineteenth century. Visitors experienced this period of
social history in terms of 'seeing life by standing in it', 'seeing the past recorded
for prosperity', 'an insight into industrial progress' and an experience that
'stimulates imagination' and 'bridges the generations', 'it has bridged our stage in
life now and when we were younger'.
Visitors in exhibits such as the squatter's cottage and the doctor's surgery
reported thoughts centred on aspects of the old lifestyle— disbelief that a family
of nine could live in such a small cottage and fear generated by the sight of old-
fashioned medical instruments in the doctor's surgery. Visitors also felt that the
exhibits at Blists Hill allowed them to draw comparisons between different
standards of living in Victorian times; notably between the lifestyle presented in
the tollhouse compared to that of the squatter's cottage. Smells were a main focus
of experiences relating to exhibits such as the baker's shop, sweet shop and the
open fires in the cottages. One visitor even felt 'a touch of envy' for the better
cottages.
A significant minority of respondents commented that the presence of exhibit
demonstrators made their experience more satisfying because it was a chance to
be informed about the past generally and a chance to share reminiscences about
their own past. Interviews with museum staff highlighted the exhibit demon-
strators' appreciation of their importance in providing a satisfying and enjoyable
experience for all types of visitors through 'the personal touch'; and, especially,
the importance of letting visitors 're-live' memories of things they had forgotten
about or, of providing in an interesting and entertaining manner information for
those too young to remember. One demonstrator commented on the objectives
of providing an enjoyable experience for all visitors: 'You have to like talking to
 ALISON J. BEEHO AND RICHARD C. PRENTICE 243

people. "When they come through the door, they are not strangers, just friends
you haven't met yet'. Demonstrators are there to act as a 'link between the
present and the past. I can explain how things worked; it enriches their
experience. I put the exhibit into a context so it isn't just a building. A lot of
visitors would just enjoy seeing things but we make it mean more'. Museum staff
felt that the style of interpretation used at Blists Hill made the visitor experience
unique and different from that on offer at the other Ironbridge Gorge Museum
sites where personal interaction is less, or minimal,-and displays were more of the
style of the traditional museum. Each of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum sites
cover a wide range of interests and are different in the visitor experience they
offer, although Blists Hill was seen as 'the flagship' by its staff.
One major strength of the Museum is the achievement of management
objectives in facilitating satisfying experiences among visitors. The mission
statement of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust (IGMT) is to 'conserve,
preserve and interpret'. During an interview with Mrs Katie Foster, the present
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Head of Public Relations of the IGMT, it was made clear that the Trust aims to
convey to visitors an interpretation of what happened in the Ironbridge Gorge,
and its great importance to the rest of the world. By concentrating on 'historical
gratitude', the Trust's aim is to make visitors feel that what happened in the
Gorge was interesting and important; a realisation that the Industrial Revolution
affected everyone's lives. Through its interpretation, the Trust aims to dispel 'all
preconceptions that visitors have about Ironbridge and the Industrial Revolu-
tion'. The objective is to 'make visitors know what it was like to live and work
at that time and to get them to reflect on their life today'. From the findings of
the tourist visitor survey, it would appear that the management objectives of the
IGMT are substantially being achieved.

Strengths: Benefits (SB)

The semi-structured interviews with the tourist visitors showed that a strength of
the Museum is the range of benefits gained by tourist visitors. The most frequent
benefit gained from a visit to Blists Hill was that of having a good day out
(mentioned by 16 out of the 42 interviewed). The aspects of a good day out
mentioned by respondents and seen as being beneficial included, having fun and
enjoyment, being able to relax, being educated or gaining new knowledge, the
interest of particular exhibits, being able to reflect upon present day experiences,
reminiscing about the past or wallowing in nostalgia and, generally having a
pleasant break from routine.
The second most frequently cited benefit gained was that of education and the
satisfaction of having learnt something new (mentioned by 13 out of the 42
respondents). Visitors felt that they had expended their general knowledge, in
particular, about industrial history and in being able to identify more clearly with
life during the period of the Industrial Revolution in Britain. A significant
minority of respondents commented that the museum setting facilitates learning
through 'experiencing, touching and seeing'. Visitors gained a 'personal
experience of the site' whereby they increased their knowledge from actually
being able to see things in operation, from comparing it with what they have
previously read about or seen re-created on television and, in being able to ask
questions to exhibit demonstrators: 'I learnt more because I was more involved
 244 Tourists Visiting A Soao-industrial Heritage Museum
in the historical process, including feelings and experiences that you wouldn't get
from static displays in museums'.
Visitors also felt that they had benefited from being able to make direct
comparisons with present-day life (mentioned by 10 out of the 42 respondents
interviewed). Visitors realised how different things had been in the past and
gained an appreciation for the hardship endured in past lifestyles. This made
them reflect upon and appreciate their present quality of life, making them
grateful for present-day living standards. The interviews conducted with exhibit
demonstrators showed that on the whole, the Museum staff were aware of the
ways m which visitors were benefiting from their visit to the Museum.
It was felt by respondents and Museum staff alike that the benefits for younger
people, in particular, could be immense (mentioned by 17 out of the 42 tourist
visitors surveyed and, 5 out of the 8 museum staff interviewed). Respondents
commented that younger people could learn a great deal from the experience of
past life which was re-created in the museum setting. It would 'bring alive what
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they had learned at school'. Visitors felt that the experience would 'be good for
younger people and make them realise what their elders went through, how hard
life was', although it was thought that this benefit would not be realised
immediately. As a longer term benefit for younger people, it was thought that
they may talk about what they have experienced at the museum not so much
now, but later in their lives. Parents in particular thought that it was a good
experience to bring in their children 'when they are taking things for granted'.
For more middle-aged people, the benefits could be gained from being able to
draw on the experience of both lifestyles; a comparison between the appreciation
of their life experiences today and that of their yesteryear. For older people, the
benefits were throught to be memory related and nostalgic. One exhibit
demonstrator explained that the benefits received by visitors will vary according
to visitor age and their life experiences but, 'each generation will pick its own
particular niche to take back with them'.
Interviews with museum staff identified a two-way • beneficial experience
concerning interaction between museum staff and visitors. In this respect, the
visitors not only gain an informed, enjoyable, reminiscent and more 'realistic'
experience through the presence and interaction with exhibit demonstrators, but
demonstrators also receive snippets of knowledge from sharing the re-living of
visitor memories and past life experiences. Blists Hill, therefore, gives visitors the
opportunity to articulate and contextualise their life experiences (from which
they feel they benefit) as well as the opportunity to act as an authoritative
statement about the past.

Weaknesses
Weaknesses: Activities (WA)
One potential weakness pertaining to the full Ironbridge Gorge Museum sites
may be highlighted from a comment made by a majority of Museum staff (6 out
of the 8 exhibit demonstrators interviewed), namely, that a high proportion of
visitors try to visit all the Ironbridge Gorge Museum sites but cannot do so in
one day. Visitors either do not realise the time needed to see Blists Hill, or spend
longer at the Open-Air Museum than they expected. In so doing, they may not
 ALISON J. BEEHO AND RICHARD C. PRENTICE 245

visit the other Museum sites. Dissatisfaction may therefore be caused by the fact
that visitors have not allowed enough time for their visits, or from the fact that
they cannot enjoy the whole Ironbridge experience. Although the passport ticket
enables visitors to visit each of the Museum sites at their own convenience and,
if so desired, at a later date, Museum staff raised the problem that many visitors
do not realise how many Museum sites there are prior to their trip to Ironbridge,
and some 'only know about Blists Hill and that is because they have seen it on
television'.

Weaknesses: Settings (WS)

Only a single tourist respondent expressed disappointment with the Museum site
overall. The reasons given for this dissatisfaction were poor signage, both on-site
and getting to the Museum, and that the village setting created did not appear as
authentic as perhaps it could be. For example, this respondent suggested that,
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even in Victorian times, one would not have found a school built next to an
ironworks. Although satisfied with the Museum setting as a whole, only one
respondent expressed dislike for the presence of demonstrators in some of the
exhibits. Another respondent commented that the Museum setting presented
difficulties for disabled people, in particular the deaf or blind, who found it
'particularly hard to experience anything' depending on visual or audio
experiences. A further possible weakness in the activities offered at Blists Hill
may be identified from some visitors' comparative comments with regard to
other like attractions. Of the visitors who had visited similar attractions, a
minority felt that these other sites had more to offer the visitor in terms of having
more to see, greater novelty and a means of transporting people around the site
(for example, with the use of trams or horses and carts). Thus, despite general
satisfaction, it was felt that some of these other sites had more for visitors to see
(including complete rows of houses), or more 'novel' exhibits (such as
underground mine experiences), while certain other sites made the visitor feel as
if people really did live there. These comparative comments were, however, made
by a small minority of respondents (3 out of the 42 interviewed), and on the
whole visitors did feel that the activities provided at Blists Hill compared very
favourably with those presented at like attractions.

Weaknesses: Experiences (WE)

A potential weakness could exist in a mismatch between the experiences sought
and gained by visitors from their visit to Blists Hill and the visitor experience
being provided by Museum management in accordance with their interpretative
objectives. The main experiences gained by visitors, and the most satisfying
aspects of the Museum, were found to be related to memory stimulation and the
enjoyment of reminiscing for those who were of an age to remember specific
aspects of past lifestyle. The objectives of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust,
however, are not to promote Ironbridge as a nostalgir experience: 'the Trust does
not want to dwell on the nostalgic element'.
As noted previously, the experience provided at Blists Hill does not have as
many novelty exhibits, or the degree of authenticity of a real working village,
such as are perhaps being offered to visitors at some other socio-industrial
 246 Tourists Visiting A Socio-industrial Heritage Museum

heritage attractions, although this is a minority viewpoint. Respondents who had

visited similar sites in the United States of America and Germany (3 out of the
33 respondents who had visited a similar attraction in the last two years),
commented that everything at these other museum sites would have been
working so that visitors could see the working processes, and in relation to the
houses, an experience would be created so that visitors would feel that there were
people really were living in the exhibit buildings. Particular attention would have
been given to every minute detail, (even the flower gardens with inevitable
weeds) to create the experience of a real and living village community rather than
a re-created village in a museum. When respondents were prompted as to their
experiences gained at Blists Hill (using a prompt list) only a small minority of
respondents (3 out of the 42 visitors interviewed) stated that what they had
experienced was 'the history of the region'. Two further respondents even
pointed out that the experience they had gained was definitely not related to the
history of the region. The experience provided at Blists Hill, therefore, perhaps
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lacks regional context and focuses more upon personal histories or portraying
the history of a particular period: the Victorian period. As such, to gain an
experience of and a complete insight into the history of a region that was the
birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, one needs to visit all of the Ironbridge
Gorge Museum sites. Likewise, other attractions as rivals can provide contexts
for personal histories or a generalised 'Victorian' period.

Weaknesses: Benefits (WB)

A possible weakness in terms of benefits gained by visitors relates to the fact that
the main experiences received by visitors (and also the most satisfying aspects of
the museum) are individual memory related. The potential benefits that can be
gained by visitors are therefore limited to those visitors who have personally
experienced the way of life presented, at least as anachronism. Some younger
people find it difficult to understand what is being interpreted at the Museum
because it represents a way of life which is totally outside their life experience.
Museum staff likewise described this difficulty in educating younger people that
life was like that because, 'even after going around a site like this, they'll never
know what it was really like'. This weakness may become more acute as
generations age, unless museum settings are varied to counter it.

Opportunities
Opportunities: Activities (OA)
Blists Hill open Air Museum clearly has strengths and should build on these. The
museum is well-liked for informal memory prompting and its interpretation of
Victorian social and industrial history. The museum, however, should consider
extending its range of activities and exhibits to provide more novelty for visitors.
The museum should also concentrate on developing new exhibits, or adapting
existing ones, to encourage the trend for repeat visiting, and focus upon making
the re-created village reflect the atmosphere of a living, working community.
Consequently, greater attention should be given by the IGMT to improving
public consciousness of the extent of the whole Ironbridge experience, conveying
 ALISON J. BEEHO AND RICHARD C. PRENTICE 247

to potential visitors in advance how long it actually takes to visit all of the
Museums, so as to encourage visiting to all of the Museum sites. The Trust,
through its marketing efforts, could also encourage wider understanding of the
historical significance of the Gorge by encouraging visitors to visit smaller but
important archaeological sites and monuments which are not part of the
Ironbridge Gorge Museum. Equally, Blists Hill could be more explicitly
interpreted as part of a historical sequence of sites linked to the Industrial
Revolution in Shropshire.

Opportunities: Settings (OS)

Visitors to Blists Hill were most satisfied by memory prompting and the
enjoyment of reminiscing and nostalgia. This should be recognised as a particular
feature of the Museum for older people, even though it is not within the Trust's
interpretative objectives. The setting provided at Blists Hill should also provide
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more novelty and authenticity. In this regard, visitors suggested, for example,
being able to take part in staged school lessons, and the development of new
exhibits such as a Post Office where one could buy stamps and send off a
postcard from Victorian Ironbridge, a police station, more cottages including a
vicarage and a farm and, if possible, an underground mine experience. Visitors
also suggested that the availability of more horse and cart rides would not only
provide a novel experience but would help visitors to circulate more easily
around the museum site. Results from the visitor survey also showed that visitors
would like to see a feature made of the canal and railway on-site. A disadvantage
of such participative developments may be, however, their contrived
authenticity.
A major source of visitor satisfaction at Blists Hill is the presence of
demonstrators in exhibits. Visitors would like to see all the exhibits manned so
as to provide a more informative experience. In light of the cost of staffing all
exhibits and the expressed need for more information, the museum may need to
adopt a variety of interpretative media, including more conventional media such
as information panels or boards. More contextual information is needed about
specific exhibits or buildings and especially about those which are not manned by
a demonstrator. Visitors commented that they would like to have had more
factual information, for example, as to which buildings were original to Blists
Hill and which had been re-located, together with a more technical and factual
explanation on the foundry and its 'dangerous nature', and how the Hay Incline
Plane worked. It was postulated that, in the absence of exhibit demonstrators,
audio-visual displays would provide an effective means of information.

Opportunities: Experiences (OE)

Building upon its strong experiential product, the logic of the ASEB Grid
Analysis implies that the development of the visitor experience at Blists Hill
should focus on memory stimulation, novelty and authenticity, creating a village
which can be seen as a real working and living community. Results of the visitor
survey indicated that the Museum should in particular expand interpretation of
the social lives of people in Victorian Shropshire at the period of the Industrial
Revolution to show what people at that time would have done for relaxation, fun
 248 Tourists Visiting A Socio-industria.1 Heritage Museum

or sports when they were not working. Depending upon available resources and
suitability, the Museum could make use of a variety of different interpretative
techniques including, live re-enactments or role-playing, audio-visual displays,
more information panels or visitor fact sheets, and more novel exhibits to
provide an experience with which visitors are unfamiliar. These various
interpretative techniques could be extended, depending on their suitability, to the
other Museum sites.

Opportunities: Benefits (OB)

The benefits described were generally personal in quality: that is, the opportunity
to offer enjoyment, fun or a good day out for many types of visitor as well as
their gaining new knowledge about industrial history and a greater identification
with life experiences during the period of the Industrial Revolution in Britain,
especially for younger people. The museum encourages people to reflect upon
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their present day experiences and stimulates enjoyable reminiscing for those who
are old enough to remember aspects of the heritage of Late Victorian England.
There needs to be a focus on the. benefits to be gained through promotional
efforts addressed to potential visitors by taking note of the differing benefits to
be associated with the different types and ages of visitor. The logic of the ASEB
Grid is that the promotional message needs to persuade prospective visitors that
a trip to Blists Hill can satisfy their individual needs.

Threats
Threats: Activities (TA)
Since 1990, visitor figures at the Ironbridge Gorge Museum (all museum sites)
have dropped annually although at a declining rate, with the greatest drop (-4%)
between 1990 and 1991 (figures from the British Tourist Authority). Visitor
figures at Blists Hill have similarly witnessed a down turn with the greatest drop
(-7%) between 1989 and 1990 when visitor numbers dropped from 272,368 to
252,355 (figures from IGMT). Since 1991, visitor numbers at Blists Hill have
declined annually at a rate of between 4% and 6% each year. Cumulatively,
visitor figures recorded in 1994 are almost 20% lower than five years previously,
in 1989. This decline in demand for the activities at Blists Hill may possibly be
due to a levelling off of demand for the product as it has become more
established/less new in the marketplace after its peak in 1989, and other
alternative like-attractions have increased competition. The decline in visitor
volumes could also be attributed, in part, to the economic recession which
rapidly gained momentum in Britain in 1990, but these issues also raise the
spectre of saturation in the market. The latter may be compounded if visitors
visit the museum once and are not subsequently encouraged to return, by being
made aware of new developments or improvements to the existing experiences
and activities offered at the museum. Also, because not every visitor sees all of
the Ironbridge Gorge Museum sites, and consequently may leave without
attaining a comprehensive experience of the history and significance of the
Ironbridge Groge, a certain dissatisfaction of ambiguousness may result and
serve to discourage a repeat visit. In this environment, Blists Hill must seek to
 ALISON J. BEEHO AND RICHARD C. PRENTICE 249

maintain a clear distinction from like attractions, particularly in the activities and
experiences to be offered to visitors, though the threat that there is perhaps a
finite limit to the number of visitors who can be attracted to museums in a
recessionary era cannot be disregarded, at least until the British economy
revives.

Threats: Settings (TS)

A major threat is that posed by competitive attractions offering a similar visitor
experience, but at the same time offering 'novel' settings.

Threats: Experiences (TE)

As the visitor experience and satisfaction at socio-industrial heritage attractions
largely relates to personal memories and the enjoyment of reminiscing, there is
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a problem that younger people will not gain that particular enjoyable experience
as their memories will be too recent to be stimulated by the setting of the
museum. This will be compounded as older generations pass away, for
increasingly there will be no-one to pass on first-hand those personal life
experiences as family history, so to prompt memories. Likewise, traditional crafts
and skills will die out as the generations progress, unless they are taught as
museum skills, and the experiences to be enjoyed will inevitably lose some of
their 'authenticity' as the traditions become attenuated. As an alternative, an
'authentic', dynamic and stimulating visitor experience may be created using
modern, high-tech interpretative techniques, but these are very costly and may
be difficult to install considering the nature and layout of the Museum site.

Threats: Benefits (TB)

The principle threat concerning benefits, flows from that of experiences. As
younger visitors to the museum will have never experienced even the aftermath
of the lifestyle being interpreted at Blists Hill, they can find it difficult to
understand, and it renders it increasingly hard for them to benefit in the same
way as older visitors. As the generations age, even indirect family links to the
Victorian period will be lost, as folk memories fade. The benefit of personalised
insight will be lost, as will the power to reminisce.

Conclusions
Using the case study of the Blists Hill Open Air Museum, a new tool for the
museum environment has been demonstrated: ASEB Grid Analysis, which is
based on the elements of conventional SWOT Analysis and the levels of the
Manning-Haas Demand Hierarchy. It has been proposed here as a more effective
consumer-orientated approach to museum marketing research, one which
focuses on the experiences and benefits gained by visitors to museums, as defined
by museum tourist visitors, in their own words, through qualitative in-depth
interviewing. Modern museums must now concentrate on providing worthwhile
experiences for their visitors, focusing essentially upon visitor needs and
motivations. ASEB Grid analysis provides an effective method by which these
 250 Tourists Visiting A Sodo-industrial Heritage Museum
may be planned and evaluated. Furthermore, it is possible to use the experiences
and benefits identified during the analysis to provide the basis of a more
quantitative view of the experiences and benefits gained from visiting Blists Hill
and like attractions, and as such, segment visitors by these experiences and
benefits to aid museum target marketing. Provision of the sorts of experiences
which meet different visitor needs and wants, and consequently becoming
essentially consumer-orientated, is the only way that museums will survive
changing market forces and be able to retain, and even increase, visitor numbers,
in a market that is becoming ever more saturated.

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