International Museum Day 2022: The Power of Museums

CAIRO – 18 May 2022: International Museum Day is celebrated annually on May 18.

It is the day set by the International Council of Museums (ICOM) in 1977 with the aim of increasing awareness of the importance of museums in developing societies as the living memory of peoples, providing museum professionals with the opportunity to communicate with the public and alert them to the challenges facing museums if they become - as defined by the International Council of Museums - "institutions in the service of society and its development."

The International Council of Museums (ICOM) established the International Museum Day in 1977. The organization chooses a different theme for this day each year, and some topics include globalization, indigenous peoples, bridging cultural gaps, and caring for the environment. The slogan of the International Museum Day 2022 is “The Power of Museums”.

International Museum Day has become steadily more popular since its inception, with 20,000 museums in more than 90 countries participating in International Museum Day 2009, and in 2012, the number of participating museums jumped to 30,000 in 129 countries.

Today there are more museum visitors worldwide than ever before, due to online visits, and there are now more people studying history at degree level than ever before.