Intelligent museums: Harnessing artificial intelligence to fight overtourism and improve visitor experience

Overtourism is an increasing problem in the world’s most popular museums, negatively impacting society and the environment while creating managerial difficulties and unpleasant visitor experiences. This research explains how museums can limit overtourism and improve visit quality using Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies. Based on a multiple-case study of the Louvre, the Smithsonian, and the National Museum of China, the study shows that innovative AI-based devices help avoid space saturation through better flow control, spatiotemporal distribution, and personalized tours. However, high costs and organizational resistance to change often prevent their adoption in museums lacking sufficient financial and technological capacities. Consequently, while AI offers significant benefits for managing visitor flows and satisfaction, its implementation remains challenging for many institutions.