Reuters has run an article about how, due to Covid-19 restrictions, the loss of tourism revenue from Jewish heritage sites owned or administered by the Prague Jewish community — in particular from the Prague Jewish Museum — is hurting the community.
We want to know — what impact are the restrictions having on other communities that administer income-producing museums and heritage sites?
Please let us know — by commenting here and/or writing to us at [email protected]
Coronavirus restrictions across Europe have virtually halted tourism. Museums and other heritage sites have been closed for weeks; borders are closed, tours are cancelled, tour guides are kept at home, and other tourism infrastructure, such as restaurants and shops, are shuttered. In addition, major cultural/touristic events such as the Krakow Jewish Culture Festival have been cancelled.
Prague is a notable case, as its Jewish quarter and museum are one of the main global centers of Jewish-themed tourism, visited by hundreds of thousands of people a year. Ticket sales and other income from these sites play a key role in the community’s budget, helping fund other communal operations, such as social welfare programs providing meals and other services to several hundred elderly community members, as well as monuments restoration and upkeep.
A big chunk of the [community’s] revenue comes from the Jewish Museum. Comprising of several synagogues and the cemetery, it attracted 721,000 visitors in 2018, generating 203 million crowns ($8 million) in admission fees.
Frantisek Banyai, chairman of the Jewish community, said it was critical to keep providing services for the most vulnerable members and that the group may need to look to cut funding to other areas, such as investments and restoration projects.
What’s happening in other cities and countries?
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Click here to read the full Reuters story