Digitalization as a sustainable development element for the cultural heritage domain in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Covid-19 pandemic severely hit the sector of culture. Restrictions, undertaken by governments to stop the spread of the pandemic, pushed the cultural heritage sector into disruptive experimentations. There are continuous discussions about investments in digital practices and new models of communications among professionals. Having at the core the conservation and safeguard of the heritage of the past for the upcoming generations, museums now are transforming their roles into the mediums of communication, development, learning, and wellbeing. At the moment, museums correspond to the needs of contemporary society and reflect societal changes. The turbo mode of digitalization became an overly present reality, forcing the museums to find their new place in the increasingly interconnected environment. The research concentrates on the overall understanding of the process of digital transformation, that the cultural sector is overcoming after the pandemic. The research relates to the changes that occurred due to the increase in digital practices; the positive and negative implications of those changes; how the professional of the sector perceive and envision the employment of digital tools and strategies, are they long-lasting or rather temporary measures. To answer the questions, a web-based survey questionnaire was designed and distributed within the museums in four western European countries, namely Belgium, France, Italy, and Spain. The received results revealed the employment of the digital strategies and their understanding, the description of the elements relevant to the digital transition of the museums, such as content creation, investment preferences, level of visitors engagement, use of analytics, monetization of digital offers; collaborations, etc. For the successful and sustainable development of the museum, the digital environment became a necessity rather than an accessory. The transformation influences and profoundly change relationships among the heritage sector actors, stakeholders, and importantly the existent and potential culture consumers. (Co-) creation appeared in numerous and varied digital ways and is standing on the possibility to reach the customer enhancing the visibility and establishing engaged relationships with the (online) visitor. However, the abundance of offers does not guarantee a positive impact and relevance for the audience. The appropriateness of the format to engage a prospective user and positioning of the museum as a digital self requires a customized approach and selective strategic choices, which implies the necessity of additional resources and staff. The size of the museum was found to add to the growing digital divides, through the way of the development and employment of digital strategies, staff availability and digital competence, investments, and visibility.