Motivations of museum volunteers in New Zealand’s cultural tourism industry

Abstract

ABSTRACTMuseums and galleries in New Zealand tourist destinations are heavily dependent on tourist dollars for their sustainability, yet their volunteers may not consider themselves part of the cultural tourism industry. Using a modified survey instrument (Volunteer Function Inventory – VFI), this study investigates motivational factors influencing decisions to volunteer and volunteers’ characteristics at three Auckland museums. Results show that museum volunteers were attracted by the heritage collections and local history and opportunities to contribute time, skills and intellect to a community asset, independent of tourist appreciation. “Values”, based on the VFI model, were identified as having most influence over decisions to volunteer. The findings have implications for volunteer recruitment and management in cultural institutions of different sizes and international settings.