COMMENT: Joint ticket is the best way to market jewels in our tourism crown

There was a time when the Mary Rose Museum and the National Museum of the Royal Navy worked closely together and visitors could buy one ticket for all attractions in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

The system was simple and straightforward. But two years ago that all changed as the Mary Rose went it alone.

That meant visitors to Henry VIII's flagship had to buy a separate ticket and those buying historic dockyard tickets could no longer get access to the Mary Rose.

It was confusing and, whatever the differences were between the two organisations that led to the ticketing split, not in their best interests.

So we're pleased to report today that the NMRN, which runs the historic dockyard, and the Mary Rose Museum have announced they will be re-opening to the public together on August 24 - with a new joint ticket.

It's a sensible decision and collaboration will allow both museums to make their combined offer more attractive - vital if they are to pull in the visitors whose spend is needed to help them recover after lockdown left them struggling financially.

Indeed, things had got so bad that the NMRN had a £6.35m shortfall and was days away from insolvency until it was saved by a Treasury rescue package. The Mary Rose Museum has lost about £2.2m.

Remember, this is not just about the museums themselves - they support 13,000 jobs in the city’s tourism and leisure industry.

So we urge you all to enjoy a trip to the historic dockyard during the holidays. Because every ticket sold will help to safeguard the future of what are truly world-class attractions.