Imagine having to take your passport to the museum to gain access
Otherwise known as “this was something we calculated, looked to see if it was feasible so didn’t implement it”
What a nothing story
Tbh a lot of countries charge more to tourists for things like this than their own population. I’d say it almost feels like we’re the odd ones out.
Maybe keep it free for the British Museum, but there are lots of other national monuments where I wouldn’t say no to cheaper local prices, Stone Henge, Edinburgh Castle, Churchill War-rooms, etc etc
They do this all over the world. Free/cheap for citizens. More expensive for tourists.
I don’t exactly hate this idea. I can’t remember the last time going abroad to a museum that was free.
Should just charge for non-commonwealth countries like many EU museums charges extra to non-EU countries.
Charging tourists for admission may also reduce overcrowding.
Fancy all them tourists having to pay to see their own stuff.
We’ve gone to all the trouble of stealing the world’s stuff, the least they could do is pay to see it.
How would this ever be enforceable
Better solution would be to charge a nominal fee to everyone like £1-2.
I am all for this, currently musuems are putting in premium areas which you pay to make.up for funding shortfalls. Lots of countries already offer subsidised local fares, eg. India, so.we wouldn’t ne novel this. And wouldnt need your passport, it woild be partially on honour system and know where you live when asked
I’d love to see James Acaster take the piss out of this if it went live
Straight up, free museums is so cool, I’d hate to see that change. Not to mention I think it could very well have the reverse effect of bringing in money.
Well that would cause a huge amount of unnecessary administration. Everyone who came to the museum would have to prove their citizenship.
Makes more sense to charge a daily tourist tax on hotel rooms so tourists are tax payers and then keep everything free
Imo for the quality of museums, there *should* be a charge for foreign tourists. Not necessarily a large one, but at least £1 or something to put towards upkeep.
Would cause issues. All the British people would have to bring proof of citizenship. We have a huge immigrant non white population. Wouldn’t be possible to enforce without checking everyone.
I don’t see an issue with charging tourists from other countries to visit our museums generally.
As a British tax payer I enjoy free museum access, but if I am visiting other countries and walking around their museums I expect, and do pay.
The exception is the British Museum, because you could argue that foreign visitors should have the right to go around for free and look at all the things we stole from them in the past!
Everything our parents and grandparents took for granted must be sacrificed so the wealthy can keep more of the money we earned.
Was in India and the same applied – it was double the price compared to a resident
Ehhhh I’d rather keep the free entry for everyone to be honest. There’s very little we do as a country which is done for free for *everyone* because we accept that there’s a non-monetary value in doing it. People from all over the world get to see world class art and history for free (a lot of which isn’t even British).
Plus the tourists absolutely buzz over them being free.
So now tourists will now have to pay to see artefacts originally looted from their home country?
As a tourist abroad I have often been aware that locals get free or reduced admission (sometimes even EU citizens!) so this isn’t controversial
22 comments
Imagine having to take your passport to the museum to gain access
Otherwise known as “this was something we calculated, looked to see if it was feasible so didn’t implement it”
What a nothing story
Tbh a lot of countries charge more to tourists for things like this than their own population. I’d say it almost feels like we’re the odd ones out.
Maybe keep it free for the British Museum, but there are lots of other national monuments where I wouldn’t say no to cheaper local prices, Stone Henge, Edinburgh Castle, Churchill War-rooms, etc etc
They do this all over the world. Free/cheap for citizens. More expensive for tourists.
I don’t exactly hate this idea. I can’t remember the last time going abroad to a museum that was free.
Should just charge for non-commonwealth countries like many EU museums charges extra to non-EU countries.
Charging tourists for admission may also reduce overcrowding.
Fancy all them tourists having to pay to see their own stuff.
We’ve gone to all the trouble of stealing the world’s stuff, the least they could do is pay to see it.
How would this ever be enforceable
Better solution would be to charge a nominal fee to everyone like £1-2.
I am all for this, currently musuems are putting in premium areas which you pay to make.up for funding shortfalls. Lots of countries already offer subsidised local fares, eg. India, so.we wouldn’t ne novel this. And wouldnt need your passport, it woild be partially on honour system and know where you live when asked
I’d love to see James Acaster take the piss out of this if it went live
Straight up, free museums is so cool, I’d hate to see that change. Not to mention I think it could very well have the reverse effect of bringing in money.
Well that would cause a huge amount of unnecessary administration. Everyone who came to the museum would have to prove their citizenship.
Makes more sense to charge a daily tourist tax on hotel rooms so tourists are tax payers and then keep everything free
Imo for the quality of museums, there *should* be a charge for foreign tourists. Not necessarily a large one, but at least £1 or something to put towards upkeep.
Would cause issues. All the British people would have to bring proof of citizenship. We have a huge immigrant non white population. Wouldn’t be possible to enforce without checking everyone.
I don’t see an issue with charging tourists from other countries to visit our museums generally.
As a British tax payer I enjoy free museum access, but if I am visiting other countries and walking around their museums I expect, and do pay.
The exception is the British Museum, because you could argue that foreign visitors should have the right to go around for free and look at all the things we stole from them in the past!
Everything our parents and grandparents took for granted must be sacrificed so the wealthy can keep more of the money we earned.
Was in India and the same applied – it was double the price compared to a resident
Ehhhh I’d rather keep the free entry for everyone to be honest. There’s very little we do as a country which is done for free for *everyone* because we accept that there’s a non-monetary value in doing it. People from all over the world get to see world class art and history for free (a lot of which isn’t even British).
Plus the tourists absolutely buzz over them being free.
So now tourists will now have to pay to see artefacts originally looted from their home country?
As a tourist abroad I have often been aware that locals get free or reduced admission (sometimes even EU citizens!) so this isn’t controversial