The digital transition of cultural spaces is no longer a theoretical vision but a concrete budget line. According to data released by the Digital Innovation in Culture Observatory at Politecnico di Milano and aligned with trends reported by the Network of European Museum Organisations (NEMO), over 72% of museum institutions report regularly investing financial resources in digital tools and skills.
However, when analyzing the actual allocation of these funds, a strategic imbalance emerges: the majority of budgets are concentrated on the pre-visit phases, neglecting the moment the visitor is physically standing in front of the artwork.
For museum boards and cultural foundation CFOs, it is time to redefine investment priorities, aligning with the in-gallery engagement goals outlined by frameworks such as the European Commission’s Strategy for Cultural Heritage.
The Imbalance Between Acquisition and In-Gallery Experience
When it comes to technology investments, museums tend to focus capital on two main fronts: electronic ticketing systems and online communication (websites and social media).
These tools are crucial for attracting audiences and managing revenue, but they only cover the “user acquisition” phase. The disconnect happens when the visitor, after a fast and seamless online ticket purchase, steps into the exhibition halls and takes a step back in time. They are forced to read faded wall labels, rent outdated plastic listening devices, or download cumbersome PDF files onto their phones.
As highlighted by tourism Revenue Management analyses published on platforms like Revenews, attracting large volumes of visitors is of little use if the on-site experience is disappointing. A poor in-room service reduces ancillary spending (bookshops, merchandising) and eliminates positive word-of-mouth.
New Priorities: Shifting Budgets to the Visitor Experience
To optimize digital return on investment (ROI), management must rebalance budgets, shifting focus from the entrance to the gallery floor. Technological priorities for the coming years center on three practical elements capable of turning the visit into a high-value service:
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Smartphone Digital Guides (BYOD): Instead of purchasing physical hardware destined to break or become obsolete, the priority investment is equipping the museum with an official web application. Allowing visitors to scan a QR code and listen to multilingual audio guides directly from their own phones slashes logistical costs and eliminates e-waste.
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Barrier-Free Offline Accessibility: Investing in platforms capable of operating offline. Many museum applications fail because they require a continuous connection, which is impossible to guarantee inside historic buildings with thick walls. The technical priority is a solution that pre-loads content at the entrance.
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Data Governance (First-Party Data): Relying on large tourism aggregators or generic apps means handing over visitor data to third parties. A mature digital investment must guarantee the museum exclusive ownership of in-gallery usage statistics (most listened-to artworks, languages spoken, dwell times)—essential data for guiding future curatorial and marketing decisions.
From Capital Expenditure to Operating Expense
The barrier preventing many boards from investing in the gallery experience is the fear of IT development costs. Commissioning a custom-built app requires locking up significant initial capital (CapEx).
The managerial solution to join that virtuous 72% without blowing up budgets is to change the procurement model. Abandoning “from scratch” development in favor of ready-to-use, customizable software infrastructures (the White Label SaaS model) turns technological risk into a certain, predictable operating expense (OpEx). This is a fundamental shift that allows museums to modernize public services while maintaining full control over their financial resources.
