Neither site is at present well equipped to deal with large numbers of visitors. In Cape Town, groups of visitors numbering up to about 45 can be accommodated, providing groups of this size do not visit too frequently. The size of the group dictates the number of staff that need to be involved. Often the visiting group is divided into smaller units and these are shown different aspects of the observatory in order to give them an insight into the working of a modern observatory. Each of these units needs a staff member to accompany them and it is the time commitment of staff that determines to some extent the frequency of visits by large groups.
Similar problems occur at Sutherland for smaller groups.
However, once a year the SAAO has an open night at Sutherland. This is attended by up to 500 people and requires a substantial effort from many staff. It is expected that the building of such a large telescope will generate substantial interest in the public and this will obviously make a significant difference to the number of visitors to SAAO, both in Cape Town and in Sutherland. It thus appears obvious that a visitors' complex of some sort will need to be built. The staff who are presently responsible for the various educational and outreach programmes consists of one permanent staff member and a temporary assistant.