NEMO report on the impact of COVID-19 on museums in Europe

A museum guide is walks through an exhibition room filled with paintings and a stone sculpture. Another person is partly seen on the left side.

Museums have experienced unprecedented economic and social consequences in the last few weeks due to the coronavirus. To better understand the status quo and what might come next, NEMO launched a survey to map COVID-19’s impact on the museum sector. The results are in and the report analyses and documents a sector that, although it is experiencing financial setbacks, is agile and able to adapt to the new (digital) normal.

From 24 March to 30 April 2020, close to 1000 museums in 48 countries contributed to the NEMO survey, a majority of them from Europe. As museums in Europe re-open, we need to listen to the community and learn from this crisis in order to effectively respond, mitigate and adapt. Closed museum doors have resulted in weekly income loss and new working methods and operations. The situation has also encouraged museums to explore more online alternatives to the traditional museum experience, which have been invaluable in these months of home confinement.

Directed at stakeholders at all levels, NEMO’s report includes recommendations urging for immediate action, for mid-term considerations and for long-term strategy with regard to:

  1. Economic support for museum operations;
  2. Investment in digital cultural heritage; and
  3. Making museums fit for crises

Visit NEMO's web page dedicated to museums during COVID-19 to find more relevant material.

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