A Contingent Valuation Analysis of the Galway City Museum: Welfare Estimates for Attendance in the Absence of an Admission Fee

Abstract

This paper provides empirical evidence about the demand for museum attendance in the absence of an admission fee based upon a survey of visitors to the Galway City Museum. The contingent valuation model results provide estimates of the total value (consumer surplus) of annual museum visits. Using these results it is possible to determine the welfare effects of predicted reductions in the number of visits at various levels for an admission fee. The results also provide insight about the impact of fees on the demand for subsequent versus initial museum visits, a focus of continuing interest within the cultural economics literature.