Minister sees museums as engines of cultural economy

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Minister of Culture Fadli Zon said museums can serve as drivers of the cultural economy by generating public visits.

"Museums are not actually a cost center. They are a cultural investment, and we hope going forward they can become part of a circular cultural economy, as well as the cultural industry," Fadli said at the inauguration of the Danantara Library at the National Museum of Indonesia in Jakarta on Friday.

He explained the economic potential of museums by citing examples from abroad.

Fadli noted that the Louvre Museum in France receives around 70 million visitors a year, and with ticket prices of around 25 euros, revenue from ticket sales alone can reach around Rp35 trillion per year.

This revenue, he said, does not yet include revenue from souvenir sales or food and beverage outlets within the museum area.

"Not to mention merchandise, which is at least double, or 50 percent more than ticket revenue. So the total could actually exceed Rp70 trillion, plus food and beverages and so on," he said.

Fadli also cited the Palace of Versailles, which receives around 30 thousand visitors per day. With ticket prices of around 65 euros, revenue from ticket sales alone is estimated to reach around Rp35 billion a day.

"So, in addition to being an education and learning center, museums are also part of the cultural economy," he said.

The minister said the National Museum of Indonesia has the potential to drive the cultural economy, given its high number of tourist visits.

Following the revitalization of the museum building and the introduction of special discounts for students and senior citizens, the museum has managed to attract more visitors.

"With the improvements made, visitor numbers at the National Museum have kept growing, even reaching 12,500 visitors in a single day at one point, causing traffic congestion around Merdeka Street," he said.

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Translator: Farhan, Kenzu
Editor: Bayu Prasetyo
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