Application of the mystery shopping method in quality assessment of tourist attractions based on a survey of museums in Krakow

The goal of the present work is to evaluate the suitability of the Mystery Shopping (MS) method in assessing the quality of tourist attractions. The MS method has been applied to assess the quality of the tourism product offered by museums in Krakow, as they are the most important tourist attractions of the city, which itself is a widely known centre of cultural tourism in Europe. The MS assessment carried out by a team of auditors using a special-purpose questionnaire gauging 40 features under analysis concerned seven component parts of a museum (its surroundings, entrance, exhibits, shop, gastronomic facilities, lavatories, promotion). The results of the survey were used in preparing a ranking for the museums of Krakow. It has been proven based on a statistical interpretation that the MS method is useful in assessing the quality of services rendered at tourist attractions. The results have been compared with Parasuraman's gap model. The identification of gaps will enable the museums' managements to modify their management style, and to improve the services offered, to adjust them to match the needs of modern audiences and to increase attendance.