Continue to implement strict epidemic prevention measures to further promote digital construction
Multinational museums have reopened one after another (international perspective)
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During the fight against the epidemic, many countries are striving to balance economic opening and epidemic prevention and control.
In some countries, museums have gradually opened up in a scientific and orderly manner, and at the same time they have accelerated their digital construction, and related industries have entered a steady recovery track.
In recent times, museums in many countries have been reopened one after another, while still adopting strict epidemic prevention measures, such as current limiting, disinfection, temperature measurement, and social distancing, so as to meet the cultural needs of the people while ensuring their health and safety.
Industry insiders believe that museums should further promote digital construction to help museums play a greater role in humanistic care, cultural heritage, and public education.
Multiple epidemic prevention measures to ensure the safety of tourists
At the entrance of the German History Museum in central Berlin, the notice "Keep 1.5 meters away" and the alcohol hand sanitizer box are very eye-catching.
Since the reopening of many museums in Germany, not only have to register visitor information, some have also stopped using audio guides and earpieces in permanent exhibition areas.
Usually, a visitor stays close in front of the showcase, and the staff will clean it with disinfectant wipes before the next visitor arrives.
In the European Cultural Museum, the touchable exhibits originally designed to increase the sense of interaction were sealed with plastic strips to avoid the risk of cross-infection by visitors.
"Strict prevention and control measures will indeed reduce the visit experience, but for everyone's health, temporary inconvenience is necessary." Caroline, a staff member of the Marienfeld Refugee Center Museum in Berlin, Germany explained.
In order to ensure the safety of tourists, the Louvre in Paris, France, has also adopted a series of prevention and control measures since its reopening in July.
For example, the advance reservation system is implemented, and only 500 tourists are received every half hour; tourists over 11 must wear masks during the visit; the museum only accepts credit card payment and does not accept cash; fast food and clothing storage services are temporarily closed.
The Louvre also placed a sign in front of the portrait of "Mona Lisa" to ensure that visitors keep a safe distance.
As of early September, a total of 29 museums in Egypt have reopened.
The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Relics stated that it will take all epidemic prevention measures to ensure the safety of the museum during the opening period, including strengthening the disinfection of public areas, limiting the number of visitors, and shortening the opening hours.
Many museums have also adopted some new approaches in the design of visiting routes and the layout of indoor exhibits.
For example, many museums in Japan deliberately design the exhibition route into an assembly line when setting up their exhibitions, allowing only one-way passage for visitors.
Various support policies boost industry recovery
According to a research report issued by UNESCO and the International Association of Museums, affected by the epidemic, about 90% of museums around the world were forced to close or cease on-site operations.
Although many museums have opened their doors one after another, they still face considerable survival challenges.
According to a survey conducted by the European Museum Organization Network, large museum institutions in popular tourist destinations such as Paris, Amsterdam, and Vienna suffer 75%-80% loss of income, which is equivalent to a weekly loss of hundreds of thousands of euros.
According to Jean Luc Martinez, the director of the Louvre Museum, the Louvre has lost more than 40 million euros in revenue since its closure in March.
The Louvre official estimates that the number of visitors this summer may only reach 20 to 30% of previous years.
The epidemic not only caused museums to face a reduction in visitor numbers and income, but also museum-related industries such as curatorial exhibitions and artist activities were also severely affected.
The International Association of Museums pointed out in the "Investigation Report on Museums, Museum Practitioners and the New Coronary Pneumonia Epidemic" that more than 80% of museums will reduce museum project activities, and nearly 30% of museums will lay off staff.
Many countries have introduced relevant assistance measures in a targeted manner.
In June, the German Federal Government launched the "Cultural Restart" plan, investing 1 billion euros in special funds to support the cultural industry.
The previous 50 billion euro special support plan for small and medium-sized enterprises specifically included freelancers and small institutions in the cultural and artistic industries.
In July, the British government announced a cultural support plan of £1.57 billion to support cultural institutions such as museums and theaters that are in difficulty in operating.
The British government stated that these loans will be "disbursed on generous terms."
The Japanese government recently introduced economic subsidy policies for museums, theaters and other cultural institutions for the purchase of sanitation and disinfection equipment, modern ventilation equipment modification devices, and current limiting subsidies to ensure their safe opening.
The Egyptian government has also announced a series of fare discount policies to encourage foreign tourists to come to Egypt to visit museums and other tourist attractions.
Digital transformation enhances the virtual tour experience
Tao Yingding, copper rhino statue with gold and silver cloud pattern, standing frame of Fuxi and Nuwa statue, bronze statue of acupuncture and moxibustion, blue glaze famille rose with gold lotus pattern double swallow ear statue... 5 heavyweight collections from the National Museum of China, shot in 8K Display, 5G live broadcast, AR immersion and other methods have opened the prelude to the “cloud” relay activity of global museums.
Starting from September 6th, the curators of 16 national museums around the world will introduce the characteristics and treasures of the museum's collections online through live webcasts, leading the public from all over the world to travel around the museums in the "cloud" together, and enjoy the museum's experience without leaving home. charm.
Netizens from all over the world praised, "Technology helps to enjoy a cloud visual feast", "It is very meaningful to be able to appreciate the treasures of global museums at home."
"During the epidemic prevention and control period, for many people, even through virtual tours, museums are still a source of knowledge and exploration." United Nations Secretary-General Guterres said in his speech on World Museum Day this year.
Right now, digital museums and 3D virtual tours are becoming hot words in the museum industry.
Many museums have further promoted digital construction, helping museums play a greater public education function in the post-epidemic era.
The European Commissioner for Innovation, Culture, Education and Youth, Maria Gabriel, believes that the digital transformation of cultural heritage institutions is more important than ever.
On the official website of the German National Tourism Administration, the column "Traveling in Germany at Home" provides links to virtual services of dozens of museums across Germany.
The Pergamon Museum in Berlin has cooperated with Google to launch an all-weather online exhibition. Many world-famous collections are all online, using digital technology to display the actual scenes and introductions of 1591 cultural relics in the collection.
The Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Relics of Egypt has launched the "Experience Egypt at Home" activity in March this year. People can visit Egypt's main museums and archaeological sites through videos with explanations and virtual tours to experience Egyptian culture online.
"Physical tours are still the best experience, but virtual tours have gradually become an important way." Petra Ibrahim, a consultant for Middle East archaeology, said that the virtual tour published on the Internet can provide information about the world. Cultural people are helpful.
Manuel Rabat, the director of the Louvre Museum in Abu Dhabi, said that the Louvre Abu Dhabi will continue to develop and increase the museum's digital products in the future, and further provide rich content to bring people's spiritual inspiration and enjoyment.
(Berlin, Tokyo, Cairo, Beijing, September 13th)