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3w ago

Government Keeps England’s National Museums Free for All

The Culture Secretary rejected proposals to charge overseas visitors and signalled that museums must pursue other funding routes such as local levies and targeted government programmes.

Last year, 7.1 million people visited London's Natural History Museum, featuring 'Hope' the blue whale
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The British Museum is hosting a landmark exhibition of the Bayeux Tapestry
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Overview

  • The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport confirmed that England’s 15 national museums will continue universal free admission and that no entry fees will be introduced for overseas visitors.
  • Ministers said charging international tourists could reduce visits by UK residents and would produce unequal benefits across museums, which informed the decision not to introduce overseas charges.
  • Museums face clear financial strain: the National Gallery has reported an £8.2 million deficit and plans cuts, highlighting the pressure on free-entry institutions to cover running costs and exhibitions.
  • The government has given regional mayors the power to introduce an Overnight Visitor Levy, and museum leaders and funders say any revenue from such a tourist tax should be ring-fenced for arts and culture.
  • Free entry was first introduced in December 2001 and is widely defended by cultural organisations as a public good, so the debate will now shift to how long-term funding and sustainability for collections and programmes will be secured.