Measuring the Museums’ Economic and Social Sustainability: Evidence from the Italian Museum System

Abstract

Museums offering high-quality products and services have a direct impact on both economic and social sustainability. Economic sustainability is linked to efficiently managing resources, securing diverse revenue streams, and maximising visitor engagement, which ensures financial viability over time. Social sustainability, on the other hand, involves fostering inclusivity, education, and cultural engagement within the community. In Italy, the Ministry of Culture introduced the Carta dei servizi e standard di qualità, a framework that aligns with national and international standards to assess museum governance, collections management, and public engagement. The framework is designed not only to enhance the visitor experience but also to strengthen community ties and promote accessibility. The relationship between quality and sustainability is thus clear: museums with high-quality standards are better equipped to attract funding and visitors, supporting their economic sustainability, while their educational and cultural services foster social sustainability. In this vein, our work aims to integrate these aspects to provide a tool that enables museums to evaluate their performance and societal impact over time, thereby facilitating continuous improvement and ensuring they remain both culturally rich and sustainable entities. Following the guidelines provided by the OECD, we developed the Museums’ Economic and Social Sustainability composite indicator, aligning it with the ministerial decree. The data used in the analysis come from the Istat survey on Museums and Other Cultural Institutions for 2022. This comprehensive dataset enables us to examine how these factors impact museum operations, providing valuable insights into the intersection of quality and sustainability in the cultural sector.