Museums receive large amounts of visits from schools and youth groups, but this isn’t a real reflection on the interests of young people in the museums and historical sites they visit.
Nguyen Thi Kim Thanh, Museum Docent, Ho Chi Minh Museum-Hanoi Branch said: “The reality is that younger generations aren’t much concerned with discovering museums. Through this training, I hope we can learn techniques to apply in museum guidance to be suitable for a variety of visitor groups”.
The training session hosted forums to discuss and strive to answers questions such as: How to attract more visitors, particularly young people? How to make artefacts and display items in the museum seem more dynamic and attractive?
Many representatives say change must begin from human resources, where museum guides and curators possess expansive knowledge, as well as social skills to introduce sites in the most appealing fashion possible. This starts from recruitment and training. Investments in technology have also been noted as ways to make displays more interactive.
Dr.Nguyen Thi Hoa Sinh, Director of Ho Chi Minh Museum – HCM City Branch said: “Young people want their senses to be stimulated, to be able to see, touch and hear at the same time. Touch screens, for example, can be much more effective than just description boxes”.
Participants at the event called for the construction of 3D interactive touring experiences in different museums. The museum community looks forward to a future where Vietnamese museums will develop beyond being just a display space to being places that stimulate visitors into discovery and exploration.
