Museums on weekends with mandatory reservations? Harmful and counterproductive according to ICOM

The Italian committee of ICOM - International Council of Museums, the main organization representing museums in the world, has written a letter, signed by Adele Maresca Compagna, sent to the Secretary General of the Ministry of Culture, Salvatore Nastasi, the Chief of Cabinet of Minister Franceschini, Lorenzo Casini, and the Director General of Museums, Massimo Osanna, to express its position on the arrangements for the reopening of museums in the yellow zones defined by Decree Law 57 of April 22, 2021.

ICOM Italy, while expressing “great satisfaction with the reopening of museums and places of culture authorized in the yellow zones,” has collected the comments of many directors of state and non-state museums, and “points out the discomfort created by the limitations provided by art.14 of the DPCM March 2, 2021, still in force, for Saturdays and holidays, where entry is allowed only to people who have made reservations online or by telephone at least one day in advance.” On Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, in fact, access to the museum is allowed only by compulsory reservation, which must be made at least the day before. According to ICOM, in fact, compulsory reservation on weekends is harmful (since it affects museums economically) and counterproductive, because it drives away all those visitors who do not plan their visit in advance (and this is mainly the young public) or who are not familiar with technological means. Thus, the risk is to disincentivize visiting museums on holidays.

“We are all aware of the importance of the participation of local communities, to be encouraged with clear communication campaigns, with innovative initiatives and projects that increase the attractiveness of heritage and place the experience of visiting the museum in tune with people’s cultural and recreational aspirations and daily lives,” ICOM Italy stresses. “Well, we know that ordinary citizens, especially young people (who do not plan well in advance the use of free time) and the elderly (who are unfamiliar with technological means) in addition to tourists who resume moving on weekends might decide to visit a museum or an archaeological park on the same day, perhaps in relation to weather conditions, the availability of relatives to accompany them, allestemporaneous desire to take a pleasant and instructive break. Why turn them away at the entrance of the museum, if there is no risk of assemblage and overcrowding, perhaps with empty or sparsely attended halls?”

“These gestures of closure, in addition to creating economic damage to institutions, can have a strong symbolic value,” ICOM Italy argues: “they could discourage the return of visitors to places of culture and frustrate the efforts of museum directors and staff committed to uneffective resumption of activities.”

According to ICOM Italy’s committee, museums are already safe even without compulsory advance booking: “ICOM believes that the contingency measures planned to ensure the safety of staff and visitors, already implemented last year by museums, are sufficient to avert the transmission of the COVID 19 virus, and that therefore exceptions to the mode of compulsory advance booking can be considered, if the number of those booked is less than the maximum number of people who can be present at the same time in museums, monuments or archaeological areas.” So, in conclusion, ICOM Italy hopes “that the Ministry of Culture will propose to the government a rectification or an authentic interpretation of the provision in the indicated direction.”

Image: Visitor to the Rembrandt exhibition at the Corsini Gallery in Rome during the Covid period. Ph. Ministry of Culture - DG Museums

Museums on weekends with mandatory reservations? Harmful and counterproductive according to ICOM

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.