EXARC has asked the member museums how 2022 has treated their museums so far and what plans they have for 2023. We have received an incredible amount of positive feedback and are happy to look back on quite a successful year together.

The last two years have had a huge impact on museums. Luckily, for many museums, 2022 has been the first year in which restrictions were less severe and bigger numbers of people were allowed into confined spaces. This is reflected in the visitor numbers of many of the member museums. Hardly anyone is back to where they were before the pandemic, but there has been an increase of people coming to the museums. The Museo delle Palafitte del Lago di Ledro (IT) was even able to celebrate their 50th anniversary with many visitors during the summer.

Even though the pandemic restrictions had been less impacting in many cuntries, the incredibly hot summer in Europe took its toll on visitor numbers.

The one thing that everyone had in common was that it is difficult to make prediction for the upcoming year.

The cases of Coronavirus could be rising again which could potentially result in further closures. The war in Ukraine has left many with uncertainties, especially those members in countries that share a border with Ukraine The general living cost crisis with the increasing prices of electricity and gas, will have an impact on how many people will come to visit the museum in 2023 but also on the costs for the museums themselves.

But many are looking hopeful into the future with exciting new projects on the horizon: such as opening a new Stone Age House (Steinzeitpark Dithmarschen, DE), celebrating the 10-year anniversary (Museu Arqueològoco de l'Esquerda, ES) or simply looking forward to more visitors to share archaeology and history with.

And if there is one thing many of our museum members have learned in the last two years, it is how to be spontaneous, flexible, and creative to attract visitors to the museum.

Image: Copyright Museo Palafitte di Ledro.