Experts warn 1 in 8 museums worldwide may not be able to reopen

Thousands of museums around the world may not be able to open their doors again because of the coronavirus pandemic, with experts fearing that one in eight may stay closed permanently.

Data compiled by UNESCO and the International Council of Museums shows that about 90 percent of all museums — roughly 85,000 institutions — have had to temporarily shutter due to the pandemic. This is "alarming," Ernesto Ottone, UNESCO's assistant director general for culture, told The Associated Press. Many museums have said they might not be able to reopen because they have been "closed for months and they have no revenues," he said. "And they don't know how they're going to get their revenues."

There are also concerns the museums won't have the capacity to fix their infrastructure in order to ensure social distancing, with institutes in poorer countries more likely to stay closed.

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Many museums rely on tourism, and the Network of European Museum Organizations said popular destinations like the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and Kunsthistorisches in Vienna could be losing up to $2.75 million every month. In Europe, politicians and royalty have been visiting newly reopened museums in order to bring attention to their plights. Belgian Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes spent time at the Bozar Center for Fine Arts in Brussels on Tuesday, and said it was important for world leaders to "show our support at the maximum level to this sector" and let the public know they can "come back here in complete safety."