Museums tips

Museums are among the most visited locations around the world, with the world top’s 100 art museums attracting 71 million visitors in 2021 — a 31 percent rise from the year before. They’re also lucrative as museums contribute annually an estimated $50 billion to the U.S. economy alone.

Dallas, Texas, beckons visitors with a compelling blend of cultural richness and modern allure. The city’s vibrant cultural scene boasts world-class museums such as the Dallas Museum of Art and the Perot Museum of Nature and Science. History comes alive at Dealey Plaza, forever etched in memory as the site of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, and the Sixth Floor Museum provides a poignant exploration of that pivotal moment. Dallas also offers an array of sports experiences, from cheering on the Dallas Cowboys to catching a game with the Mavericks or the Texas Rangers. The city’s shopping districts, including NorthPark Center and the Galleria Dallas, cater to diverse tastes, and its culinary landscape ranges from authentic Tex-Mex and barbecue joints to upscale dining in trendy neighborhoods like the Bishop Arts District.

The Louvre art museum in Paris will hike its basic entrance fee next year by 29%, adding to concerns that visitors coming to Paris for next year’s Olympic Games will face spiraling costs.

Tripadvisor has released a preview for its upcoming 2024 study on the Experience of Travel, which showed that 67% of travelers surveyed across 7 key markets placed more value on experiences than things. It’s a drum the sector has been beating for a while.

Tripadvisor’s national ad campaign touting its Viator tours and activities brand includes a spot called “Viator Makes Museum Tours Juicy Again.”

I’m on a bus, hurtling over the hills at exhilarating speed. An oxbow lake flashes into view: while geography was never a passion, the sharp curves of the meandering river as it reaches the sea at Cuckmere Haven demand my full attention. The arresting view has featured in paintings by Eric Ravilious as well as a Hollywood film or two.

The V&A’s new blockbuster exhibition is the first in the UK dedicated to the French couturier Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel – and it is selling out fast. The show is fully booked until Christmas, but at the time of writing there was still plenty of availability in January and February. The exhibition charts the history of the House of Chanel, from the opening of Coco’s first millinery shop in Paris in 1910 to her final collection in 1971, and her legacy today. There are almost 200 looks on show, including a piece from 1916 and outfits designed for Lauren Bacall and Marlene Dietrich, plus accessories, jewellery and perfume. Until 25 February, £24 adults/£16 children/under-12s free, vam.ac.uk

After Austrian Empress Elisabeth married Emperor Franz Joseph in Vienna in 1854, her wedding dress disappeared. Commonly known as Sisi, the Empress has long been quite the celebrity in Europe. Her rebellious nature has been depicted in films like Corsage and the chart-topping Netflix series The Empress. Yet, despite her popularity, Empress Sisi’s wedding dress has been veiled in secrecy for almost 200 years. Now, thanks to a series of clues, Austrian researcher Dr. Monica Kurzel-Runtscheiner may have solved the ancient sartorial puzzle.

Stephanie Lampkin freely admits that her work entails dealing with arguably the most shameful aspect of U.S. history — slavery — and its continued impact on the country.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Friday, February 3. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

TrekkSoft, a Swiss Saas startup for tour and activity providers has added Giant Monkey, a Berlin-based producer of visitor management solutions, to its stable.

When the Gansevoort hotel first opened back in 2004, the boutique property had no competition in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District. “We were the only game in town, and it was just the right moment in time,” said Michael Achenbaum, the president and founder of the Gansevoort Hotel Group. That gave the boutique hotel a distinct advantage, as the neighborhood became arguably the nightlife capital in the aughts. The hotel — as well as other players, such as the restaurant Pastis and the lounge Lotus — helped speed up the growth of the Meatpacking District. But there was a tipping point. “I think there was a moment where it became too much, and the term ‘jump the shark’ was appropriate at the time,” Achenbaum said. Almost 20 years later, the neighborhood has morphed. More luxury shops like Gucci and Hermès have entered the space, Lotus is long gone, and packing plants are nowhere to be found — though Achenbaum believes there are still one or two left on the fringes of the district.

Visitors to Rome’s Pantheon, one of the ancient world’s best preserved monuments, will have to pay a 5 euro ($5.45) entrance fee from Monday, Italy’s tourism ministry has said.

One of the most celebrated painters in history and a feminist icon, Frida Kahlo has her own museum in Mexico City: the Frida Kahlo Museum, otherwise known as La Casa Azul (The Blue House). La Casa Azul is not just any building, it is the bright cobalt blue house where the artist was born, grew up, and spent most of her life until her death at age 47 in 1954. According to Kahlo and her husband Diego Rivera’s wishes, a few years after her passing, La Casa Azul was transformed into a museum where her paintings, personal objects, furniture, folk art, clothing, etc. are displayed for the enjoyment of all those who are fascinated by Kahlo’s work and life.

Located on the banks of the Swan River, Perth is the capital city of what is, geographically, Australia’s largest state: Western Australia. With a population of about two million, Perth enjoys a Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild, wet winters. It’s culturally diverse any time of year, with a mix of both modern and indigenous art alongside galleries and museums to rival Sydney and Melbourne, and its west coast remoteness means the city is far less touristy than the cities on Australia’s eastern seaboard. Perth saw 5.7 million arrivals between July 2018 and June 2019 compared to the 16.1 million visits to Sydney in the same period. If you do make the trip here, these are the cultural attractions to see.