Museums are a repository of all the past that has been carefully categorised, curated to get a glimpse of our rich heritage. On a tour, it is hardly ever that we do not wish to visit a museum. But given this pandemic situation, this part of our travels can soon become a distant memory. According to UN’s cultural agency, around 13% of museums across the world may never reopen due to the COVID-19 crisis. Two studies conducted by UNESCO and the International Council of Museums (ICOM) revealed that 90% of museums in the world have been shut for long during the crisis. The study highlights the fact that museums without visitors will face a substantial decrease in income. Professions closely involved with museums are also at risk of decline.
13% Of Museums Across The World May Never Reopen
Nearly 13 per cent of the museums around the world may never reopen, the UN’s cultural agency has warned, as about 90 per cent of them globally have had to close their doors thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. On the occasion of International Museum Day on Monday, two studies by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and therefore the International Council of Museums (ICOM) said that museums have been especially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with 90 per cent of them, or more than 85,000 institutions, having closed their doors for varying lengths of time during the crisis.
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Furthermore in Africa, the Small Island Developing States (SIDS), only 5 per cent of museums were ready to offer online content to their audiences. “Nearly 13 per cent of museums around the world may never reopen,” the agencies said during a statement. The two studies, involving member states and museum professionals, were aimed toward assessing the impact of COVID-19 on museums and museum institutions. They also aimed to seek out out how the world had adapted to the pandemic and explore ways to support institutions in its aftermath. “Museums play a fundamental role within the resilience of societies… We must help them deal with this crisis and keep them in-tuned with their audiences” UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said. Did you know Dubai Launches 360-Degree Virtual Museum Tours?
Museums Need The Support Of General Public For Survival
The study conducted by ICOM highlights the very fact that museums that are bereft of their visitors will face a decrease in their income. Professions associated with museums, their operations and their outreach could even be seriously affected. ICOM President Suay Aksoy said, “We are fully conscious of and assured within the tenacity of museum professionals to satisfy the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic… However, the museum field cannot survive on its own without the support of the general public and personal sectors. It is imperative to boost emergency relief funds and to place in policies to guard professionals and self-employed workers on precarious contracts.”