Technology reaches the museums

A computerised ticketing system and revised entrance tariffs were launched by Heritage Malta yesterday for sites and museums falling under its responsibility.

Arts Minister Jesmond Mugliett said the new system provided a basis on which the agency could implement innovative management concepts for its sites.

It is the first in a three-phase system supplied by V.J. Salamone. The initial phase involved an investment of Lm100,000. The money came from Heritage Malta's capital fund.

The implementation of the new system has started at the Museum of Archaeology.

The War Museum and the Palace Armoury are to follow suit. It will be introduced at other sites and museums over the coming months.

Well over 1,000,000 people visited the 19 sites under the care of Heritage Malta last year - 809,031 paying and 265,617 non-paying visitors. In 2001, the sites were visited by 881,712 paying and 229,656 non-paying visitors.

According to figures compiled by Heritage Malta, the most visited site last year was that of the Ggantija Temples in Gozo, which were visited by 118,564 paying visitors and 24,178 non-paying.

The most popular site in Malta was the Palace Armoury, visited by 106,369 paying and 18,822 non-paying visitors.

The systems introduced yesterday will initially work independently from one another but the next development phase will see them all being brought on line with Heritage Malta's head office.

"It provides a platform for further development and enhanced communication and services such as the purchase of tickets through the internet, which is planned for 2004," he said.

Apart from providing an improved service for Heritage Malta visitors, the ticketing system was necessary to curb the misuse and occasional abuse of the present manual system. It also provided traceability for every ticketing transaction.

Mr Mugliett said the new system formed part of the ongoing process to modernise the management of Heritage Malta's sites.

The ultimate aim of this process would be to make the sites more accessible whilst giving patrons a unique experience.

One of the actions in this direction was the extension of summer opening times.

"In the near future, we will be looking at new ways of making our museums more attractive by introducing innovative opening times and by hosting cultural activities within their precincts," the minister said.

Mr Mugliett said Heritage Malta was embarking on a study to find how it could best improve its sites and museums, aiming to enhance the visitor experience.

In the short term, Heritage Malta would be investing to improve the presentation and interpretation of its facilities.

In the coming months, Heritage Malta would be embarking on a number of capital projects that would do justice to the potential and wealth of Malta's cultural resources.

He said that another aspect of the proposed development was staff training. Progress was also registered in discussions on the new collective agreement for the agency's staff.

Heritage Malta was also investing heavily in the improvement of its sites. The agency has also been successful in attracting private companies to participate in the renovation of museums such as the National Museum of Fine Arts.

The tariff for adults, at Lm1, has been left unchanged. That for children between the age of 13 and 18, senior citizens and students, holders of ISIC, Euro 26 and ICOM is now 50c. They previously entered free. Children up to the age of 12 still enter free.

Different rates apply for visits to the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum and to more than one site in Gozo. The revised rates apply with immediate effect.

Mr Mugliett said the revised tariffs reflected the situation that existed abroad and were comparable to most other international and European museum heritage sites.

"The revenue from Heritage Malta's museums and sites is reinvested in projects aimed at improving these same facilities," he said.

He said that none of the new tariffs was prohibitive and these were not expected to have any adverse effect on the number of visitors.