End of the era of free tours at the British Museum? UK reviews foreign admission fees for first time in 25 years...a backlash from the cultural community

*This content was translated by AI.

Free admission to the British Museum, the National Gallery, and the Victoria & Albert Museum, which anyone enjoyed for free, may disappear if they go to London. The UK government announced that it would officially consider charging national museums and art galleries for foreign tourists, marking the first crack in the 25-year free policy.

The British Labor Party government has said it will consider charging foreign tourists for admission to the national museum. Culture Minister Lisa Nandy said, "We will explore the potential opportunities that foreign tourist admission fees will bring with the museum industry." This is in response to the recommendation of the English Arts Council (ACE) independent review report released in December last year by former Labour MP Baroness Margaret Hodge.

The UK's National Museum and Art Museum's permanent exhibition free admission system was introduced in 2001. This policy, which marks its 25th anniversary this year, has been cited as a successful case for revitalizing tourism. In contrast, most major museums around the world, such as the Louvre (32 euros for non-Europeans), the Museum of Modern Art in New York ($30) and the Prado Museum in Spain (15 euros), are paid.

Estimated admission fee of £15 to £20

According to the Financial Times report, foreign admission fees are expected to be between 15 and 20 pounds (about 31,000 won and 42,000 won). As of fiscal year 2023-2024, 17.5 million foreign visitors visited 15 major museums in the UK, accounting for 43% of the total visitors. It is estimated that the introduction of admission fees will generate up to 350 million pounds (about 680 billion won) annually.

However, there is a big obstacle. The plan to charge foreign visitors is subject to the condition that it can be implemented only when the government first introduces a digital identification system that can distinguish between Koreans and foreigners. Currently, the UK does not have such a general-purpose identification system, so it is expected to take a considerable amount of time to implement it.

"You're going to keep your relics and even get paid for them?"…a backlash from the cultural community

The pros and cons are also hot. Maria Balshaw, the outgoing director of the Tate Gallery, strongly opposed it, saying, "What does it mean to collect cultural assets from all over the world and even receive admission fees from them?" Alison Cole, director of the Cultural Policy Institute, also warned that the imposition of admission fees was a "very bad idea" and that it would be counterproductive if tourists gave up museums for budget reasons in expensive London.

On the other hand, a director of a large museum told the Financial Times, "It is a very reasonable plan," and "It is difficult to operate with the current model, which continues to reduce government support."

Some suggest an alternative to investing accommodation tax in cultural facilities instead of admission fees. The Cultural Policy Institute estimated that London tourist accommodation tax alone could raise 350 million pounds (about 685 billion won) a year and 1.2 billion pounds (about 2.3 trillion won) nationwide.

The British government said it would announce specific measures within this year. Attention is focusing on whether the free tour of the London Museum, which was a "bucket list" of tourists around the world, can continue in the future.

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*This content was translated by AI.