A proposal by the UK government to consider charging overseas visitors admission fees for its national museums has stirred up controversy and opposition and not only from potential overseas visitors.
Significant among the pushback are ethical questions concerning the wide variety of artifacts from other countries that are at the heart of many British collections, from the Elgin Marbles to tribal and other cultural items from around the world, collected during Britain’s colonial days. In one example, a representative of the Caribbean Community’s reparations commission asked “Why should we have to pay to see our heritage?”
The permanent collections of Britain’s national museums have been free to all since 2001, with charges only for special exhibitions. Economic pressures and declining government commitment to support for museums and other institutions has led to the subject being raised again.
