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Dept for Culture Media and Sport

Answer

Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of tickets issued for visits to the Millennium Dome were (a) free and (b) discounted. [147780] Janet Anderson: [holding answer 30 January 2001]: The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) has advised that it will be publishing full visitor attendance numbers later in the year once the final accounts for the operational year and all the associated data have been audited. The following statistics have been provided at this stage but the right hon. Member will wish to note the caveats which have been set out in the footnotes to the table. _________________________________________________________________________________________________. 2000 Total free{ 1} Total discounted{ Total sponsors from Full price tickets{ Total attendance{ 2} discounted{ 3} 4} 5} January 10,164 50,669 14,685 305,586 366,420 February 73,115 56,868 9,169 439,555 569,538 March 103,372 60,209 4,892 392,727 556,308 April 68,773 112,352 12,077 398,208 579,333 May 102,903 157,385 13,456 241,916 502,204 June 135,181 165,461 14,502 239,625 540,267 July 123,077 217,267 15,575 266,175 606,519 August 20,148 263,521 12,958 267,547 551,216 September 109,372 209,374 13,285 144,538 463,284 October 74,448 424,524 16,609 158,652 657,624 November 54,446 230,312 16,284 82,358 387,117 December 145,749 371,614 17,540 219,681 737,044 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. {1} Includes free school visits, carers for disabled people, sponsor ticket allocation, accompanying teachers on paying school visits, coach drivers, Greenwich residents, NMEC guests and VIPs. {2} This reflects a range of promotions and offers which are normal for the visitor attraction business and which are factored into the company's business strategy. For example, the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) has run a number of offers and promotions with its sponsors for their customers and also ran a special ticket price for entry after 4 pm. Key promotions with M&S, Boots, Tesco and BT have been undertaken. The Tesco half price promotion was redeemed in October, BT was redeemed in November and December. {3} Sponsor tickets were purchased and allocated per each individual sponsorship contract. {4} This number is an approximation and as such should be used for review purposes only. There is insufficient accuracy for them to be regarded as audited or validated information. {5} Total attendance does not take into account non-attendance by ticket purchasers. It represents visitor footfall via the admission system and not total tickets sold. Note: NMEC operated two different systems, one for Ticket Sales (Enta) and one for Admissions (ACS). The admissions system recorded total attendance, but did not show details of the attendance ie purchase source of admission or monetary value of admission. Consequently figures for Free and Discounted tickets are derived from the ticketing system, whereas total attendance is derived from the admission system.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

147780; 362 c536-8W;362 c538W

Session

2000-01

Subjects

Concessions Attendance Tickets Millennium exhibition New Millennium Experience Visits

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk