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England's national museums to stay free for overseas visitors

Ministers decided not to charge overseas visitors at England's national museums, rejecting an option raised by an independent review. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said charging could deter domestic visitors.

3 outlets · 1L · 2C · 0R First reported Account updated
Image: The Guardian

The story, neutrally told

Overseas visitors will not be charged to enter England's national museums, after ministers decided against changing the universal free admission policy. The decision followed months of discussions between the government, museums, the tourism sector and local leaders. In March, ministers had said they would explore charging international visitors, responding to a December review by former Labour minister Margaret Hodge.

Hodge's review said a charging model would align the UK with countries such as New Zealand and Singapore, which charge international visitors but keep entry free for citizens and residents. DCMS said it believes charging could deter domestic visitors and that the impacts and benefits would not be felt equally across the sector. Free admission was introduced in 2001 under Tony Blair's Labour government, and the UK's 15 national museums, 12 of them in London, have been free since.

Culture secretary Lisa Nandy said museums "must be free, forever, for everyone to access". The Natural History Museum's director, Doug Gurr, said his museum would have benefited from charging but the sector would have lost out overall, and argued for reinvesting a share of tourism revenues in museums. London mayor Sadiq Khan welcomed the decision.

The government pointed to £760m for museums through its £1.5bn Arts Everywhere Fund, £600m of infrastructure funding and a £13.6m transformation programme, with a long-term strategic plan to follow.

Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on.

Left1 outlet

Framing
Reports the decision as a response to the Hodge review, with a supportive quote from London's mayor.
Emphasis
Government reasoning, the Hodge review's comparison countries, and Sadiq Khan's welcome.
Leaves out or plays down
Does not quote Lisa Nandy or museum directors, so the funding trade-off Gurr raised is absent.
Charged language
“access to culture is a right, not a privilege”
For example
“access to culture is a right, not a privilege.” — The Guardian
“Government decision comes in response to Margaret Hodge review that proposed charging international tourists” — The Guardian

Centre2 outlets

Framing
Straight news report of the policy decision; BBC adds reaction from the culture secretary and two museum directors.
Emphasis
The ministers' decision, the DCMS rationale, and museum directors' reactions including the case for reinvesting tourism revenue.
Leaves out or plays down
Sky's available text is a single sentence, so it gives no detail. BBC does not include Sadiq Khan's reaction.
Charged language
“free, forever”
For example
“So, we're delighted to remain free but given the visitors we bring there's a strong case for reinvesting a share of any tourism revenues in the institutions that help attract them.” — BBC News
“England's national museums will remain free for overseas visitors after ministers opted against changing the universal free admission policy.” — Sky News

Right0 outlets

No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.