Visits to UK attractions fell by 2% last year, according to a new report published on 26 August 2002 by the…
Visits to UK attractions fell by 2% last year, according to a new report published on 26 August 2002 by the
Despite the fall in visits, the figure compares favourably with the overall drop in domestic tourism in 2001 of 6% in England (to 132 million trips of one night or more) and 7% in the UK (to 163 million trips of one night or more).
The annual survey Visits to Visitor Attractions 2001 reveals a mixed picture for the country`s attractions. The sectors that were up included those traditionally popular with domestic visitors such as theme parks (up 4%) and gardens (up 3%).
Major attractions illustrating these trends include Legoland Windsor, which saw a 9.5% jump in visitors to 1.63 million, mainly due to new attractions that brought LEGO to life. Flamingo Land Theme Park and Zoo in Yorkshire enjoyed a 1.6% increase in visits to an estimated 1.32 million and Kew Gardens saw the number of people going through its gates rise by 15% to 989,352.
Sectors that fared less well include animal, rural and farm based attractions, many of which were badly affected by foot and mouth disease. Overall, 26% of attractions were forced to close for part of their normal opening season in 2001.
The closure of countryside locations and footpaths during the height of the epidemic contributed to a 25% fall in visits to farm attractions, a 6% drop in visits to country parks and a 4% decline in visits to wildlife attractions.
Chester Zoo, which was forced to close for part of its opening season during the foot and mouth crisis, saw a comparatively small drop in visits (-5.1%) to 1.06 million. Ashton Court Estate, a country park in Bristol, experienced a 31% fall in visits to 1.03 million and Godstone Farm in Surrey saw its visits fall by 10.5% to an estimated 198,622.
The survey, published on behalf of the four national tourist boards, also shows the impact of 11 September and the resulting decline of overseas visitors to Britain. Visits to historic properties, popular with overseas visitors, fell by 7%. The Tower of London, Canterbury Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Windsor Castle and St Paul`s Cathedral all saw their visitor numbers drop significantly.
Despite fewer overseas visitors to the UK in 2001 (-9% to 22.8 milion), the museums and galleries sector fared well with visits up overall by 1%. The introduction of free entry for adults in November helped boost the number of UK residents going through their doors.
Visits to London`s Victoria and Albert Museum went up by nearly 8% to 1.45 million and those going to the Natural History Museum rose by 7.6% to 1.69 million.
For the first time, The Eden Project in St Austell, Cornwall and the British Airways London Eye report figures for a full year of opening. The Eden Project generated 1.7 million visitors in 2001 and the London Eye attracted 3.85 million visits. That`s up nearly 17% on the first nine months of opening in 2000.
Blackpool Pleasure Beach remains the most popular free attraction with an estimated 6.5 million visits.
ETC chief executive Mary Lynch said: Attractions had a difficult year in 2001 but are now facing a period of great opportunity. The tourism industry is recovering, domestic holidays are enjoying a surge in popularity as many British people look to take a short break in this country rather than go abroad. Attractions that invest in providing a quality experience will reap the benefits.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
