CANBERRA'S Parliament House will soon offer a rejuvenated visitor experience as a review into its underperforming gift shop and public tours is handed down.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Department of Parliamentary Services secretary Carol Mills said the $245,000 review was expected to be completed this month, with changes to the Parliament House Shop already under way.
Despite more than 850,000 visitors to Parliament House in the past 12 months, the shop's profit for the 2011-12 financial year was just above $110,000. In 2011-12, the store recorded 60,405 purchases, down from 64,000 in 2008-09.
Ms Mills said the shop would be overhauled. It would feature a range of Parliament House-branded items as well as works and gifts created by artists working in the Canberra region.
The review comes as outlets inside Canberra institutions, including the National Gallery and Australian War Memorial, are made genre specific and destination stores in their own right.
''We are currently looking for ways for our stock to relate to stories about the building, the architecture, design and the landscape as well as the story of how Parliament works - the Constitution and the politics,'' Ms Mills said. ''It should be an extension of your experience of visiting, and we hope it will provide souvenirs and gift opportunities which relate to the visit itself, like postcards and other materials featuring the building and our large art collection.''
A ban on overseas-made items could be modified and popular mugs featuring images of prime ministers given a new look.
''We have recently had a significant selling of some of the mugs and while they are great, we hope to make them a bit nicer and a more tasteful gift for people to take.''
Ms Mills said the retail space could be redesigned, and made to better cater for groups including tourists, school groups and public servants. The public would also benefit from an increased range of tours of the parliamentary precinct, including specialist art and political tours, as well as increased use of audio guides and smart phone applications.
''This year for the first time we participated in Heritage Week and we ran heritage-themed tours throughout the building which were booked out,'' she said.