Visiting a Cathedral: The Consumer Psychology of a ‘Rich Experience’

Abstract

Research was undertaken into the experiential nature of a visit to a cathedral as heritage visitor attraction. Qualitative data from focus group discussion exposed the nature of the consumption experience prior to, during, and after the visit. The experience was romantic and primarily emotional, a product of affective and reflective processes. Personal narratives are posited as a useful paradigm for conceptualising the predispositions with which subjects arrive for their visit. Implications for visitor management are that promotional and interpretive literature should emphasise connection with human continuity, rather than human works; and the imposition of an obligatory admission charge sits uneasily alongside visitors’ perception that a cathedral is public territory.