Article
The response of Chile’s museums to the cultural impact of COVID-19
Figures from the International Council of Museums ICOM show that the COVID19 pandemic has led to the closure of some 95 of the worlds museums This imposes major challenges on the more than 60000 museums that have had to close their doors to the public some of which have been able to adapt to online solutions such as virtual visits or public participation over social networks However this is not possible for all museums due to their limited digital infrastructure or a rise in virtual access demand One example of swift adaptation comes from the Louvre in France which was receiving 93 million visitors each year and has recently seen virtual connections quadrupling to 400000 per day
Thinking about reopening some institutions are implementing contingency plans for significantly reducing visitor numbers during the coming 18 months According to UNESCO and ICOM studies more than 10 of museums may never reopen partially due to a drop in revenue from ticket sales This affects the continuity of thousands of jobs in conservation and restoration sites in heritage sites and museums worldwide Preserving these cultural spaces is crucial for addressing the repercussions of the crisis and longterm challenges In response several governments have already announced measures to manage the social and economic implications of the pandemic including packages specially created for the cultural sector
