Who Visits the Museums? A Comparison between Stated Preferences and Observed Effects of Entrance Fees

Abstract

This study investigates whether the introduction of an entrance fee affects visitor composition at a state funded museum in Sweden. While entrance to the museum was still free, we conducted a survey to collect information about visitor characteristics and used the Contingent Valuation (CV) method to measure visitors' willingness to pay (WTP) for a visit. The results of the CV survey show that even a very low entrance fee level results in a significant reduction in several target groups that the museum has policy directives to reach. Additionally, we conducted another survey after the introduction of the fee. Thus, we have a unique opportunity to test the validity of CV in the context of a cultural good. The comparison between the predicted results from the CV and the observed change in visitor composition after the introduction of the fee implies that CV does predict a majority of the changes successfully.

Museum and monument attendance and tourism flow: a time series analysis approach

“…The main issues within this research line concern the organizational form (e.g., Fedeli and Santoni, 2006), the managerial aspects of supplying services and merchandise, along with the strategies for reducing production costs and fund raising (Kotler and Kotler, 1998). A large number of empirical studies are devoted to estimating visitors' willingness to pay and their price elasticity, with the final scope of evaluating the effect of the introduction of admission fees, as a new source of revenue (Santagata and Signorello, 2000;Maddison and Foster, 2003;Lampi and Orth, 2009). The second line of research looks at the economic impact of the museums and cultural initiatives in the promotion of local economic growth and development.…”

Pay as you go: a new proposal for museum pricing

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Different Hearth, Different Worth: Sustaining an Emerging Festival in the New Cultural City of Singapore

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