An urban icon? The case of the Iceman Ötzi

This study via a travel cost model estimates the likelihood to revisit South Tyrol s Museum of Archaeology, best known as the Ötzi museum, in the Autonomous Province of Bolzano(Italy). The purpose of this investigation is to analyse in what measure this museum may be regarded as a potential icon for the urban development of Bolzano. To this aim, the number of actual visits to the museum are employed as an economic indicator of the museum attraction propensity and an investigation on visitors’ preferences and behavior is carried out. The relevant data were obtained from a survey undertaken in the months from June to August 2010 at site and a zero- truncated count data model is estimated. The empirical findings provide an important tool to plan the future urban development around the Ötzi museum.