by The Natural History Museum was London’s most-visited attraction in 2022, according to statistics released today, with nine of the UK’s top ten visitor hotspots in London.
The NHM, which boasts an exceptional collection of specimens from around the world, including fossils and dinosaur bones, was the country’s most visited indoor attraction, with 4.65 million visitors, up 196% from the previous year, according to the association published figures of the leading visitor attractions.
Dippy the Diplodocus returns to the Natural History Museum in London
Close behind is the British Museum with 4.1 million visitors – a 209% increase on the previous year – followed by the Tate Modern (3.88 million visitors) and the Southbank Center (2.95 million visitors).
ALVA announced today that the 2,000 websites it covers – most of the largest in the UK – saw a total of 123.4 million visitors in 2022. Amid the cost of living crisis, tourists and locals alike are still keen to engage with culture .
“These numbers show that in 2022, visitors have returned in droves to their favorite places to breathe, heal, heal and enjoy special moments with special people in special places,” said Bernard Donoghue, Director of ALVA.
But while the number of visitors has increased from 2021 numbers, it’s still down 23% compared to pre-pandemic numbers in 2019, when 161.2 million visitors visited ALVA’s websites. The cost of living crisis is also reflected in the numbers, with free attractions seeing a 183% increase in attendance compared to 101% for paid attractions.
“We are still experiencing the tourism equivalent of ‘Long Covid’, with many attractions still not reaching 2019 visitor levels, largely due to a lack of international visitors, particularly from China and the Far East,” Donoghue added. “But I am confident that they will return this year and we will see a continued healthy recovery.”
Museums and galleries in particular have seen an increase in visitors this year, with 158% more visits compared to 2021. Meanwhile, London saw a 152% increase in visits compared to last year’s figures.
With 2.73 million visitors, the National Gallery took sixth place in the top 10 list. It is followed by the V&A with 2.37 million visitors, Somerset House with 2.35 million visitors and the Science Museum with 2.33 million visitors.
The Design Museum in Kensington saw the largest increase in attendance of any attraction, with a massive 515% increase over last year’s numbers.
The country’s most visited tourist attraction was The Crown Estate in Windsor with 5.63 million visitors, while the Tower of London was 10th on the list with 2.02 million visitors.
In Scotland the most popular attraction was the National Museum of Scotland with 1.97 million visitors and in Northern Ireland the Titanic Belfast was the most visited attraction with 624,300 visitors. In Wales, Bodnant Garden in Conwy was the most visited site with 270,300 visitors.
The 10 most visited tourist attractions in Great Britain in 2022 were:
1. The Crown Estate, Windsor Great Park
2. Natural History Museum
3. The British Museum
4. Tate Modern
5. Southbank Center
6. The National Gallery
7. V&A
8. Somerset House
9. Science Museum
10. Tower of London
