Exeter’s popular museum worth over £5 million a year to local economy
Published: 3 November 2023
Exeter’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery (RAMM) brings in over £5 million a year to the local economy, new figures have revealed.
Data from the South West Museum Development’s annual survey shows just how important the City Council-run Museum is to the city, pulling in more than 200,000 visitors a year (based on the survey’s findings for 2022/23).
The findings show that day visitors to the popular attraction in Queen Street, Exeter, brought in an estimated £4,197,258 to the local economy, whilst local visitors brought in £942,545. The figures were calculated using the Association of Independent Museums’ (AIM) calculator. However, South West Museum Development advised that as the calculator is from 2019 and does not take into account ‘overnight stay’ figures, the true value to the city is likely to be even higher.
Cllr Laura Wright, Exeter City Council’s Deputy Leader and Lead Councillor with responsibility for Culture, said the findings highlighted the importance of RAMM to the local economy.
“RAMM is a much-loved institution that is ingrained into the fabric of the city and also attracts national attention in the Arts sector, which in turn generates tourism and trade for Exeter.
“Generations of Exeter citizens continue to enjoy RAMM as a place of interest, learning leisure and cultural history, as well as taking part in the more recent RAMM Lates and specific interactive activities. In addition, people come to see us from all over the world, and that mix of local and national/international visitors is what gives RAMM its unique vibe!
“We know that people come back again and again and that’s something we’re rightly proud of, as it shows that we are offering an important experience that people want to engage with. RAMM can bring joy and information to so many people, which then sparks their own interests and creative activities. The RAMM’s extensive work around inclusion and accessibility is another way that it is reaching out to more people – which again, in turn, helps the city’s economy.
“This important data really evidences how cultural engagement and provision in a city plays a huge part in supporting the local economy.”
The Annual Museum Survey was delivered across nine English regions with regional and national analysis of operational data.
The National Annual Museum Survey 2023 report is viewable here: Annual Museum Survey 2023: National Report by South West Museum Development - Infogram
The South West report is available here: AMS 2023 Regional Report: South West by South West Museum Development - Infogram
To find out more about the Annual Museum Survey, please visit: Annual Museum Survey - South West Museum Development (southwestmuseums.org.uk)