The Ramses exhibition gave the NSW economy a $57m boost. Pictured: Tim Levy/Australian Museum
THE exhibition theme was of ancient Egyptian glory but the economic touch it brought to NSW was similar to that of an ancient mythic figure from another culture – Midas.
The Australian Museum’s recent blockbuster exhibition Ramses and the Gold of the Pharaohs (held in Sydney from November 2023 to May 2024) proved to have the Midas touch, according to the museum.
A report prepared by Inform Economics and released on September 10 describes the exhibition as among the museum’s most successful ever, in terms of visitor numbers and economic impact.
The report states that the exhibition attracted more than 508,000 visitors and contributed more than $57 million to the NSW economy. Total visitor spending was
$25,057,000, the total direct economic impact was $31,112,000 and the indirect impact was $26,134,000.
For the full story, click here: Australian Museum Ramses blockbuster a $57 million boost to NSW economy – The Australian Museum
Kim McKay AO is the Australian Museum’s Director and CEO, who secured the exhibition exclusively for Sydney.
“It is rewarding to see how culture can contribute to the economic and community health of our city,” she says.
“Exhibitions of this scope and scale help create vibrant and inclusive cities, offering opportunities for intergenerational and inter-cultural connection, which has a lasting benefit.”
The report points out that of the 500,000+ plus visitors to the Ramses exhibition, 60,000 came from interstate and 10,000 came from overseas.
Ron Tan, Executive Chairman & Group CEO of the NEON Group, which partnered with the museum to bring the Ramses exhibition to Sydney, said the collaboration was a win-win for Sydney and NSW.
“Sydney was the fourth city in the world to host Ramses – after Houston, San Francisco, and Paris. It has been great to see its success not just in attendance but in overall economic impact and enjoyment by the community,” he says.
“This world-class exhibition ran in Sydney for 183 days and is now showing in Cologne, Germany, where it continues to have great success.”
Ms McKay also praised her team at the museum in staging the exhibition.
“Not only does this important economic analysis show us the economic gains, it also demonstrates the skills of the Australian Museum team in staging and promoting the exhibition,” she says.
“If we had not been successful in securing the Ramses exhibition for Sydney, and it had been hosted elsewhere in Australia, an estimated outflow of more than $6 million would have occurred from NSW visitors travelling out of the state,” she said.
The museum’ next major summer exhibition is due to open in November and will be announced in coming weeks.
