White paper on creativity - ebla center

Chapter 11period of 8%. Someone might arguethat the rise in visitors was fictitious andthe figures only meant a rise in thenumber of individual visits by regularmuseum-goers. But breaking down theBritish figures reveals that half of theextra visitors were new visitors.Where to find 100 million euros tooffset free admissions?The sum of 100 million euros, theequivalent of the total ticket moneyfrom Italian state museums, can berecovered using various tools. Similarcriteria can also be applied to local andregional museums.Voluntary contributions (“Pay whatyou like”)Current Italian legislation does notfacilitate forms of voluntarycontributions. Contributions fromprivate individuals are often called forbut no procedures are set up to makethem possible. Perhaps the time hascome for an information campaigninvolving the Ministry, localgovernment bodies and all Italians aspotential museum visitors. The methodof voluntary contribution, when itworks and given the quota ofguaranteed income it provides, is thefairest imaginable.Consideration paid by citizens to thestateThere is a good deal of media confusionabout taxes and fiscal pressure ingeneral, which in Italy is certainly toohigh. But in the name of reducing taxpressure, various differences areconcealed and the underlying fiscalphilosophy obfuscated. I will try tosimplify: types of taxes includededicated tax, i.e. the consideration paidas on any market in which the seller isthe public sector (state, localgovernment) and the buyer the recipientof a service. In this case the hotelindustry could pay dedicated tax on thegrounds that the cultural heritage is oneof the primary factors of attraction fortourism. In this way the hotel sectorwould contribute to sustaining one ofthe elements from which it benefits: theself-evident enhanced impact of culturaltourism on the local economy. Fromthis point of view, what would be theeffect on the world tourist system if itwere announced that Italian museums“are open free to everyone”?In other words, if the hotel culturalindustry, but also the audiovisual andexport-driven sectors (fashion, design,food, etc.) make money thanks to theuse of Italian culture as an productioninput and that culture is sustained bypublic spending, it only seems fair thatin exchange for the service they payconsideration.Increased sales of auxiliary servicesThis source of income is directly linkedto the expected rise in visitors followingthe introduction of free admission. Inother words, visitors entering for freewill presumably be encouraged in someways to spend on catalogues, books, ormeals at the museum restaurant.New forms of patronage andsponsorshipPeople often complain that privateindividuals are not very responsive tothe need to support arts and cultureeconomically. The reason for this maylie in the structure of tax incentives. TheWHITE PAPER ON CREATIVITY 271