More than half of May visitors to Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum use e-tickets, reducing waiting times for entry
May 28, 2024
by Keiichi Nobira, Staff Writer
On May 27, the Hiroshima City government reported on the effects of online ticket sales and extended hours of operation at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, located in the city’s Naka Ward. The new measures were initiated in March as part of attempts to alleviate congestion at the museum. A total of 59 of the 87 days from the start of the online reservation system to May 26, or about 70% of the total, recorded no waiting times. For May, more than 50% of visitors to the museum used the online ticket service, resulting in the city’s view that use of the online reservation system is becoming more widespread.
The longest waiting time for entering the museum was 90 minutes on two days, 60 minutes on five days, and 30 minutes or less on 21 days.
According to a survey conducted by the city during the period August 12–20 last year, waiting times were 120 minutes on three days and 90 minutes on six days. Even if limited to the 38 days since March when daily visitor numbers to the museum exceeded 7,000 people, a number similar to those of last year’s survey, 17 of those days recorded no waiting times. From such results, the city considers the measures to have had a positive impact on reducing waiting times.
Visitor numbers to the museum by month totaled 199,981 (with 79,111 visitors from overseas) in March, and 205,930 (99,704 overseas visitors) in April, both of which were record highs. The percentage of visitors who purchased tickets online was 33.9% in March and 40.6% in April. As of May 26, 51.1% of nearly 200,000 visitors to the museum for the month had purchased tickets online, surpassing the number of visitors who purchased tickets at the ticket counter.
For the extended times of operation of one hour each in the morning and evening, the average number of visitors ranged between 122 and 177, compared with the 600 visitor number reserved for each one-hour time slot. Starting in July, the city is scheduled to introduce ticket vending machines, relocate the general information center, and conduct surveys of visitor trends. The Hiroshima City’s Peace Promotion Division said, “Increasing use of the online reservation system will help alleviate waiting times to enter the museum. We will aim at further alleviation of crowding by informing the public of the extended hours of operation to stagger visitor numbers across a broader time period, among other measures.”
(Originally published on May 28, 2024)
On May 27, the Hiroshima City government reported on the effects of online ticket sales and extended hours of operation at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, located in the city’s Naka Ward. The new measures were initiated in March as part of attempts to alleviate congestion at the museum. A total of 59 of the 87 days from the start of the online reservation system to May 26, or about 70% of the total, recorded no waiting times. For May, more than 50% of visitors to the museum used the online ticket service, resulting in the city’s view that use of the online reservation system is becoming more widespread.
The longest waiting time for entering the museum was 90 minutes on two days, 60 minutes on five days, and 30 minutes or less on 21 days.
According to a survey conducted by the city during the period August 12–20 last year, waiting times were 120 minutes on three days and 90 minutes on six days. Even if limited to the 38 days since March when daily visitor numbers to the museum exceeded 7,000 people, a number similar to those of last year’s survey, 17 of those days recorded no waiting times. From such results, the city considers the measures to have had a positive impact on reducing waiting times.
Visitor numbers to the museum by month totaled 199,981 (with 79,111 visitors from overseas) in March, and 205,930 (99,704 overseas visitors) in April, both of which were record highs. The percentage of visitors who purchased tickets online was 33.9% in March and 40.6% in April. As of May 26, 51.1% of nearly 200,000 visitors to the museum for the month had purchased tickets online, surpassing the number of visitors who purchased tickets at the ticket counter.
For the extended times of operation of one hour each in the morning and evening, the average number of visitors ranged between 122 and 177, compared with the 600 visitor number reserved for each one-hour time slot. Starting in July, the city is scheduled to introduce ticket vending machines, relocate the general information center, and conduct surveys of visitor trends. The Hiroshima City’s Peace Promotion Division said, “Increasing use of the online reservation system will help alleviate waiting times to enter the museum. We will aim at further alleviation of crowding by informing the public of the extended hours of operation to stagger visitor numbers across a broader time period, among other measures.”
(Originally published on May 28, 2024)
