Swedish museums struggle with impact of virus

(4 Sep 2020) It has been a difficult year for Sweden's main museums in the capital Stockholm. Tourism vanished this summer despite the Scandinavian country staying open to visitors and Sweden issuing very few restrictions in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Most indoor museums decided to close for several months through the spring, but when they reopened people stayed away. The Nordiska Museum, which tells the story of Sweden's long history, saw a 70% drop in visitors, and group events were mostly cancelled. Sweden took a relatively soft approach to fighting the coronavirus, one which attracted international attention. Large gatherings were banned but restaurants and schools for younger children have stayed open. The government has urged social distancing, and Swedes have largely complied. But compared to other European countries where measures were gradually lifted, Sweden's measures aim to be sustainable long term, which could mean many more months before visitors return. Nearby, the grandiose Vasa Museum is quiet. There is only one exhibit here: a huge 17th-century warship which sunk on her maiden voyage, and centuries later was salvaged almost fully intact. It's one of Scandinavia's key attractions and people travel from around the world to see it. In the new year, they had planned for 800,000 visitors this summer. Instead, each day barely 800 people came. Vasa Museum guide manager Peter Rydebjork said with 90% of its visitors typically coming from abroad, the attraction could do little but "wait and see". Sweden, a country of some 10.2 million, has recorded more than 84,700 cases of COVID-19 so far and more than 5,800 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...