Over the past few weeks, it seemed as if every other news headline related to the outbreak of coronavirus. With the latest figures revealing over 83,000 reported cases in 53 countries, stocks plummeting as fear about the virus mounts, and the whole world on red alert, the coronavirus is transforming the economy on a global scale.
One of the industries most affected by the coronavirus is travel and tourism. Major events like soccer matches have been postponed or closed to fans. In Italy, where coronavirus is spreading rapidly, the inter Milan team played its Europa League home game this week without spectators. Across China, South Korea, and Japan, domestic leagues are not playing games at all. Major gathers such as conferences are also being canceled or postponed as a precautionary measure.
Museums, too, are beginning to be affected by the fear and precautions taken in light of the spreading coronavirus. Across Asia and Europe, cultural organizations and tourist destinations are closing down to visitors. While this is taking its toll on the cultural sector, several museums have begun to devise creative strategies to make their collections and exhibitions available to the public through digital and virtual tools.
In these uncertain times, it’s imperative that museums take new measures to adapt, both to ensure their continued relevance and to offer their constituents opportunities for leisure, education, and immersion during a moment of insecurity and mass quarantine.
Here, we will take a look out how the coronavirus is impacting museums on a global scale, as well as examine the creative ways organizations are adapting amid the panic and disruption:
State of Museums Amid the Spread of Coronavirus
As of the end of February, countless hotels, shops, and tourist destinations have emptied out. Across China, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, and Italy, museums are being affected on a large scale. In Italy, Peggy Guggenheim Collection, the Palazzo Grassi, and Punta della Dogana have all shut down; in Japan, the Tokyo National Museum, the Kyoto National Museum, and the Mori Art Museum and Ōta Memorial Museum of Art are on lockdown; in Korea, the National Museum of Korea, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, and the Leeum Samsung Museum of Art are all closed to visitors. In China, where the coronavirus began and is proliferating rapidly, the museums and cultural sites affected are too vast to count -- even the Great Wall of China has been closed to visitors. In the first days of March, The Louvre, one of the largest and most visited museums in the world has temporarily closed its doors.
According to Francesca Brianza, Vice-President of Lombardy's Regional Council, “in recent history Italian tourism has never experienced a crisis like this.”
Growing Case for Digital Access
As the spread of coronavirus continues to hinder the possibility of visiting the brick-and-mortar sites of many major museums, cultural organizations, tourism boards, and government officials have had to think on their feet. In China, the National Cultural Heritage Administration held an emergency meeting in response to the number of museums and historic sites on lockdown. In response, the government strongly encouraged museums to: “promote new technology and inheritance of our country’s cultural heritage.”
In fact, the government deemed it an urgent matter to offer “comfort and escape to the Chinese people” through immersive cultural experiences.
As a result, China has led the way in making museums available through digital means, without ever leaving the house. According to Jing Travel, “From Karamay Museum in far western Xinjiang province to Shanghai’s Museum of Revolutionary History, 100 Chinese institutions have responded promptly to NCHA’s directive by making their publicly available through online exhibitions using a centralized portal.”
Additionally, many Chinese cultural institutions have released “educational games and interactive digital artworks,” starting with the Suzhou Museum, which promoted four mini-games through its WeChat and Weibo accounts.
One of the biggest coronavirus-fueled disruptions in the art world was the cancellation of Art Basel Hong Kong, which prevented hundreds of millions of dollars of art from going on display for purchase. Several weeks after the cancellation was declared, Art Basel announced the “first iteration of its new online viewing rooms will launch in March, allowing exhibitors to show works on the web that they had originally planned to bring to Hong Kong.”
While they cannot replace the original gathering, these digital viewing rooms have saved the show. They will open early only to VIP cardholders from March 18 to 20, followed by five days of open access to the public, from March 20 to 25.It is likely that museums affected by the spread of coronavirus or in anticipation of a decrease in attendance will look to increase their commitment to digital access through a variety of channels, including online collections, mobile games, virtual reality, and video live streaming.
Bracing for Financial Implications
Although museums have digital tools at their fingertips to keep visitors virtually “coming through their doors,” institutions will inevitably take a hit to their finances. Aside from the stock market’s recent plunge and its impact on endowments, museums must be prepared to adapt and seek new revenue streams outside of the revenue from tickets, memberships, and on-site retail.
As uncertainly looms, now is the time to move “all hands on deck” towards creative fundraising and development strategies in this time of crisis. Additionally, museums should ensure that they are leveraging social media channels to keep potential visitors apprised on digital and online retail opportunities.
The coronavirus is a global health emergency as well as an economic crisis, and tourism is being hit especially hard. During these uncertain times, it is essential for cultural organizations to consider how they can best prepare and adapt accordingly. Over and above the growing movement towards digital engagement in museums, it is in times like these we must consider new challenges and opportunities to reach potential visitors and audiences remotely. As with all outbreaks, the coronavirus will eventually come to an end. But in the meantime, it is essential that cultural organizations stand together and do everything they can to remain places of education, inspiration, and community during this difficult time — opened or closed.
Many cultural organizations are adapting to the COVID era by launching Digital Membership Cards. Download our Guide: How to Launch & Succeed with Digital Membership Cards.