Times of Malta, 26th November 2008

Museums and historical sites are becoming increasingly popular, according to figures released by the National Statistics Office.

A total of 2,055,357 visits were made to such sites last year, an increase of six per cent over 2006.

The most popular proved to be art museums, visited by 37 per cent. Next in popularity were archaeology and history museums.

The number of museums and historical sites in Malta and Gozo last year increased to 70, nearly half of which are state owned.

During the same year, 222 new exhibits were purchased, a drop of 12 per cent over the previous year, while expenses increased by 10 per cent to €10.8 million. The NSO said 62 per cent of costs related to staff.

Overall, museums and historical sites had a revenue of €10.6 million, resulting in a loss of €0.2 million.