The China museum visit boom: Government or demand driven?

Abstract

Visits to Chinese museums have grown eightfold between 1995 and 2016. Growth in museum expenditure and space has contributed to most of the increase in visits, although the free admission policy that was rolled out in 2008 also had a significant impact. Demand factors have not had a major impact on museum visit growth with the possible exception of the increase in urban population. Museum demand exhibits decreasing returns in museum quality and museum space but constant return to scale in both. Finally, the government’s move to free admission, as well as the growth rates in museum space and expenditure, is broadly consistent with the objective of maximizing visits.