Dutch museums need more support to recover from pandemic

Museums in the Netherlands will need more support from the government if they are to fully recover from the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, the Museum Association said to ANP. Restrictions and lack of tourism mean that it will be a long time yet before museums will see their normal visitor numbers again, the association said.

In June, museum card holders paid 441 thousand visits to museums in the Netherlands - a third less than in the same period in 2019. The number of day tickets sold also lagged behind, as did the number of foreign visitors, which account for a third of museum visits. And tourism office NBTC expects it to take some time before international travel is back to pre-pandemic levels. 

"In addition, there are insufficient resources to organize special events and special temporary exhibitions, which could attract more audiences," the Museum Association said. "That is why the government investments are urgently needed now and in the coming years."