Attract the young, museum keepers urged

ILOILO CITY — Museums in the Asia-Pacific region have to strengthen its reach by attracting the younger generation.

Dr. Song Xinchao, Asia-Pacific Chairperson of the International Council Museum (ICOM), said there should be a paradigm shift in attracting younger visitors to museums.

“If museums are still perceived to be a place for old people and full of antiques, the young will not come,” said Xinhao, speaking through an interpreter, at ICOM’s 2015 Asia-Pacific conference in Iloilo City.

To create more awareness, Xinhao said that ICOM in Asia-Pacific, which comprises of 21-member nations, is encouraging the incorporation of social media and other such applications in museum tours.

Prof. Inkyung Chang, ICOM-South Korea Chairperson, added that another approach is to train children in conducting museum tours for fellow children.

The proposed strategies of making museums attractive to the younger generation is one of the issues that paralleled ICOM’s Asia-Pacific conference theme of “Pathways for Museums for Sustainable Society.”

Xinhao noted that Asian museums still have to reach the level wherein communities allow museums to become an integral part of their evolving culture as well as a driving force of sustainable development.

For Chang, it means that Asian museums will have to consider collecting modern items that will be labeled as artifacts in the future.

ICOM-Philippines Chairperson Gina Barte said Iloilo’s December 4-6 hosting signifies the city and province’s appreciation of their rich cultural heritage while embracing contemporary development.

Barte added that the Philippine hosting is part of the of Department of Tourism (DOT)’s campaign to showcase the country’s diverse culture and its heritage destinations.