Visitors to Hong Kong museums hit a record in 2017 after entrance fees are waived
Nearly 7 million people visited various sites with free entry to permanent exhibitions at five venues
A record 6.9 million people visited Hong Kong’s museums last year, up by more than half on 2016, after many entrance fees were waived.
Director of Leisure and Cultural Services Michelle Li Mei-sheung said on Thursday that the encouraging attendance was a result of the free entry.
Mummy exhibition wraps up year of boom in Hong Kong museum visits
Since August 2016, the government has granted free entry to permanent exhibitions at five venues – the Hong Kong Museum of History, Hong Kong Heritage Museum, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence and the Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum.
The Hong Kong Science Museum’s entrance fee has been lowered by 20 per cent.
The increase in attendance was particularly obvious at the history museum, which saw a 90 per cent hike in traffic, Li said. The total attendance at museums in 2016 was 4.5 million.