90% of Indonesian Museums Not Fit to Visit

(2/23/2010)

Indonesia's Minister of Culture and Tourism, Jero Wacik, says that 90% of Indonesian museums are not fit for tourist to visit.

"The condition of our museums is concerning. 90% are not well managed and are unfit to visit," says Wacik. Because of this, Wacik is calling for more attention to be paid to how the country's museums are managed and operated.

To help focus greater attention on the museum sector, Wacik has declared 2010 as "Visit Museum Year," adding: "At this point in time, 90% of (our) museums are unfit to visit, so I have named this "Visit Museum Year.' That is how we work."

The Minister hopes that persuading more people to visit museums will automatically cause the management of museums to improve. "Let's see what happens next year after this program is completed. I hope that in five year's time all (our) museums will be fit to visit," explained the Culture and Tourism Minister.

Minister Wacik contends that museums must begin to be operated as places to seek inspiration and study, becoming permanent records of the nation's development.

The Ministry has established a program running through 2014 that is intended to improve both the image and the collections of the country's museums. Wacik also concedes that museums are a popular destination for foreign tourists visiting any nation.

Simultaneously with "Visit Museum Year" the Ministry of Culture and Tourism has also launched a national movement of "Love Museums" to enhance the appreciation of museums among the Indonesian general public.