APPENDIX B
CHARGING FOR ENTRY INTO A PVIC
The experience of national museums was that
when charging ceased they witnessed an increase in all visitors
but specifically those from the UK. In 2001, free entry was reintroduced
at national museums in England, Scotland and Wales which had previously
charged for admission (although they continue to charge for special
exhibitions). Visitor numbers have subsequently risen at those
museums and many more people appear to be taking the opportunity
to visit. When the Victoria and Albert Museum introduced a £5
admission charge in 1997 it saw its visitor numbers halved as
a result.
According to a Mori study "The Impact of
Free Entry to Museums", March 2003 "Encouragingly for
those attractions charging to special exhibitions only, one in
four say that they are no more likely to pay to go into such an
exhibition . . . in fact they will spend more on different aspects
of their trip to a museum of gallery than they would have done
when they had to pay for admission".
The Visit Britain trends report for 2005 states:
— Attractions with over 30% of visits
from overseas have a higher average admission charge (£5.74)
than those with fewer than 30% of visits from overseas (£4.80).
— Although not conclusive it does highlight
the fact that overseas visitors are prepared to pay (more) for
attractions than British visitors.
Visitor Services staff at the Houses of Parliament
have anecdotal evidence that tourists from abroad will pay without
any fuss for summer tours of Parliament but that some British
visitors think it is too expensive and not worth paying.
The majority of respondents in focus groups
for the Mori survey conducted in September 2005 on a proposed
PVIC felt strongly that any visitor centre should be free. However,
depending on the content of the Centre, most of those who would
go would be willing to pay a £5 entry fee.
| 
