Heritage, nostalgia, and the “grey” consumer

Focuses on one leisure activity enjoyed by a number of elderly consumers, heritage visiting. Drawing on the findings of a study of consumer behaviour at a recreated living industrial museum, the analysis focuses on the behaviour of elderly visitors to the site, with a particular emphasis on how the experience is constructed. Highlights the role of nostalgia as a motivational and experiential factor behind the visit, and distinguishes between two types of nostalgic reaction, “recreational”, and “existential”. The intensity of the reaction is interpreted in the light of the stimulus provided by the museum, and in the context of individual life circumstances such as role loss, disempowerment, social contact, and the degree of personal experience and object familiarity. Concludes by proposing that it is not always the most obvious groups of consumers who offer the greatest opportunity for sustained and repeated visits.

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