Government says proposed levy for international tourists is part of initiative to improve arts funding
Ministers are considering charging international tourists to access permanent collections at national museums as part of an initiative to improve arts funding.
The government said there was a need for long-term options to fund the struggling arts sector in its response to a review of Arts Council England, which distributes public funding to the arts. Among the options cited was a hotel levy, a policy being consulted on.
But Alison Cole, the director of the Cultural Policy Unit thinktank, said charging international tourists would be a “very bad idea”.
“There’s a much better way to save our wonderful civic museums and cultural infrastructure across the country, and that we believe is a hotel levy,” she said.
