Economic impact of museums and galleries
BERL was commissioned by Museums Aotearoa to survey their membership and estimate the economic impact of museums and galleries, particularly with respect to three focus regions: Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. Museums and galleries play a vital role in our local and national economies through their contributions to tourism, gross domestic product (GDP), and curriculum-focused education.
City and regional clusters of museums and galleries generate significant economic activity through tourist spending in the region. Christchurch, Auckland, and Wellington are three examples of clearly defined museums and galleries that attract more people directly to visit, and indirectly to live, work, and play.
Museums and galleries are places of learning and cultural enrichment. They offer educational benefits for the general visitor on subjects including history, art, culture, science, and technology. They also offer educational programmes for school students tailored to the New Zealand Curriculum and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa (the National Curriculum for students attending Māori-medium schools), as well as school holiday programmes.
Key findings from the report include:
- Auckland museums cluster contributed $398 million in GDP to the region in the 2023 financial year. This GDP contribution was sufficient to sustain 3,447 jobs per year
- Wellington museums cluster contributed $539 million in GDP to the region in the 2023 financial year. This GDP contribution was sufficient to sustain 5,179 jobs per year
- Christchurch museums cluster contributed $225 million in GDP to the region in the 2023 financial year. This GDP contribution was sufficient to sustain 2,120 jobs per year
- The educational value of museums and galleries hosting curriculum-focused educational programmes for school visits is estimated at $27.8 million, and educational offerings for school holiday programmes are estimated to be an additional $4.2 million for the 2023 financial year
- Funding for the sector is often delivered sporadically. An institution may receive significant funding one year, then nothing the next
- The 18 medium-sized institutions assessed reported an average net operating deficit of around $154,000 for the 2023 financial year
- The eight large-sized institutions assessed reported an average net operating deficit of $319,000 – a far cry from the $1.17 million surplus they ran in the March 2019 financial year.