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Te Papa is ensuring New Zealanders will always be able to come through its doors for free, by introducing an entry fee for international visitors from September.
Te Papa will begin charging an entry fee of $35 for international visitors. The charge will apply from Tuesday, September 17, to international visitors aged 16 years and older.
Entry to the museum will remain free for New Zealanders. Visitors will self-identify their nationality and will not need to present ID.
The charge for international visitors is expected to raise several million dollars per year, contributing to the $30 million Te Papa must earn each year. The museum is only partly funded by government.
Te Papa tumu whakarae chief executive Courtney Johnston says the museum will always be free for New Zealanders.
“Te Papa is free for all New Zealanders – and it will stay that way.
“Charging international visitors will help fund the incredible experience for everyone who walks through our doors.
“This is a considered and necessary decision to ensure that Te Papa can continue delivering a world-class experience in the face of rising costs.”
Courtney says the entry fee had been benchmarked against tourism experiences in New Zealand and around the world, and Te Papa expected that most international visitors would be happy to pay.
“International visitors are often surprised to find that entry to the museum is free.
“Te Papa offers a unique and world-class experience, and we expect to remain a must-see destination.”
Te Papa is rated as the Top Attraction in New Zealand and Top Attraction in the South Pacific in the TripAdvisor 2024 Travellers’ Choice Awards. Te Papa visitor satisfaction levels are extremely high, with 98 per cent of international visitors being satisfied with the experience, and over three quarters (76.9 per cent) rating Te Papa as 9 or 10 out of 10. International visitors spend on average two hours in the museum.
Te Papa Kaihautū Māori co-leader Dr Arapata Hakiwai says that the museum’s management and Board had given the decision careful thought.
“As well as a visitor destination, Te Papa is a major research facility and a highly-specialised storehouse for over two million collection items.
“Whether it’s looking after visitors or looking after taonga, the costs of doing our work are increasing, and this will help us meet those costs, while ensuring open access for New Zealanders,” Dr Hakiwai says.
Te Papa receives $44 million in funding each year from government, and must raise at least $30 million from partnerships, philanthropy and donations, and from commercial activities – as a conference venue, and from its cafes, retail stores and carpark. Increasing costs for Te Papa include the costs of energy, insurance and staffing.
By the numbers
Total visitor numbers 23/24 financial year: 1,235,930
International visitors 23/24 financial year: 591,062
Top countries of origin in order: Australia, United Kingdom, United States, Germany, France
$44 million per year – government funding of Te Papa
$30 + million per year – what Te Papa needs to earn from commercial activities and donations
121 minutes – average time international visitors spend at Te Papa
Number 1 attraction in New Zealand – TripAdvisor 2024
98 per cent of international visitors are satisfied with their visit to Te Papa
76.9 per cent rate Te Papa as 9 or 10 out of 10
Costs of New Zealand experiences
Auckland Museum $32 (international visitors)
Wētā Workshop tour $55
Zealandia $26
Te Puia (geothermal valley) $95
Hobbiton $120
Sky Tower $42
Waitangi Treaty Grounds $60 (international visitors)
