what do think?

[jusko88]

what do think if zoos all over the united states did what st louis zoo & national zoo do and have free admission and you just pay for parking? do you think this would hurt zoos or better them? would it bring better exhibits quicker? would zoos make less or more money?

 

[nanoboy]

what do think if zoos all over the united states did what st louis zoo & national zoo do and have free admission and you just pay for parking? do you think this would hurt zoos or better them? would it bring better exhibits quicker? would zoos make less or more money?

Hmmm..... I suppose that it depends on where the funding comes from. Privately-owned zoos may struggle with this business model, but zoos receiving tax dollars might be able to experiment.

Take the 'Zoos Victoria' zoos in Australia (Melbourne, Healesville, Werribee): the government recently announced that children under 16 years will get free entry on weekends, public holidays, and school holidays. Visitor numbers have increased, and so too has income, because a family of 4 (2 parents and 2 kids) that may have been deterred from going to the zoo because they had to buy 4 tickets, now only has to buy 2 tickets, so a zoo visit is far more affordable. When they get to the zoo, they still have to buy food and souvenirs for 4 people.

 

[gerenuk]

what do think if zoos all over the united states did what st louis zoo & national zoo do and have free admission and you just pay for parking? do you think this would hurt zoos or better them? would it bring better exhibits quicker? would zoos make less or more money?

There is a lot more to this equation than just admissions and parking fees. Saint Louis and National Zoos can only have free admission because they are well funded through public sources.