The British Museum held the file for essentially the most visited attraction within the UK for 2024 for the second yr in a row.
In line with statistics just lately launched by Alva, the Affiliation of Main Customer Points of interest, the museum in London noticed 6,479,952 guests in 2024, an 11 % improve in comparison with the earlier yr. The Pure Historical past Museum in South Kensington was the second hottest attraction at 6.3 million guests, additionally with an 11 % improve in comparison with 2023.
Tate Trendy was the 4th most visited with 4.6 million guests. The Southbank Middle, which incorporates the Hayward Gallery for modern artwork amongst its venues, had greater than 3.7 million guests, a rise of 17 % in comparison with 2023.
Alva’s announcement additionally famous a 36 % improve in guests going to the Nationwide Portrait Gallery final yr with greater than 1.5 million guests after it reopened in summer time 2023. This helped the museum transfer up 9 spots in a single yr to 18th place. The Younger V&A, which additionally reopened in June 2023, welcomed greater than 596,000 guests, a 47 % improve.
Stonehenge additionally skilled a 3 % improve in guests, with greater than 1.36 million in 2024.
The Nationwide Museum of Scotland was essentially the most visited free attraction in Scotland with 2.3 million guests, a 6 % improve in comparison with 2023, whereas the Nationwide Galleries of Scotland recorded a record-breaking yr with just below 2 million guests, a rise of 9 %.
Probably the most visited attraction in Wales was St. Fagan’s Nationwide Museum of Historical past with 600,690 guests, adopted by the Nationwide Museum Cardiff with 373,382 guests.
Different artwork establishments additionally skilled massive jumps in attendance. The Fitzwilliam Museum, the artwork and antiquities museum of the College of Cambridge, had its busiest yr on file with greater than 506,000 guests, a 25 % improve from the earlier yr. The Laing Artwork Gallery in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, had greater than 192,000 guests, a 57 % improve.
By comparability, Alva stated the standard attraction in London noticed a 3 % improve, with sights in Scotland and Northern Eire witnessing a 3.2 % improve in attendance.
Its director, Bernard Donoghue, acknowledged that the majority sights within the UK had “regular however not vital development” in 2024, as a result of lengthy financial restoration the Covid pandemic, the results of the cost-of-living disaster on shopper spending, further enterprise bills, and modest guests to the UK.
In a press release, he stated, “The restoration of customer sights and the broader cultural and heritage economies stays fragile, however guests have proven that of their leisure spending they nonetheless prioritize day journeys to cherished sights, they’re maintaining their memberships of favourite organizations and so they worth spending particular time with particular individuals in particular locations.”
