Attractions which invested more money in marketing in 2013 than previously saw an 8% uplift in visitors and a 10% increase in revenue, where those who spent less on marketing saw a 1% increase in visitors and only a 2% rise in revenue.
Visits to attractions in England increased by 5% in 2013 according to VisitEngland’s Annual Attractions Survey. This demonstrates the important contribution England’s attractions make to the UK economy and the potential for future growth in the tourism sector.
The research shows that despite challenging economic conditions, those attraction businesses which are investing in marketing and digital platforms have seen an increase in their visitor numbers and revenue, with gross revenue up by 5% across the sector.
This investment reveals the emergence of a strong digital trend, with 18% of attractions now offering mobile apps compared with only 7% in 2012. Almost all attractions (94%) now have a website, with 21% offering an online booking facility, and Facebook and Twitter now in common use. The proportion of attractions offering some form of digital communications other than a website increased significantly from 67% in 2012 to 77% in 2013. Those attractions offering some form of digital communications platform (excluding just a website or online booking facility) in 2013 saw gross revenue increase by 6%, but by only 3% amongst sites who do not.
Results also reveal that attractions which invested more money in marketing in 2013 than previously saw an 8% uplift in visitors and a 10% increase in revenue, where those who spent less on marketing saw a 1% increase in visitors and only a 2% rise in revenue.
Regionally, tourism in London is clearly booming as it tops the list with visits to attractions up by 8% in 2013, followed by the North East (up 6%) and the East Midlands (up 5%), indicating the important role of England’s attractions in enticing people to explore England outside of London.
VisitEngland Chief Executive James Berresford said: “Attractions in England are core to England’s tourism offer and we are so fortunate to have such a wonderful and wide variety of indoor and outdoor attractions to suit all visitors. With a 5% increase in both visitor numbers and gross revenue for 2013, our attractions continue to contribute greatly to the visitor economy and show enormous potential for future growth. It’s clear that investment into the sector is key and the benefits are evident in the results for attractions continuously investing in both marketing and digital platforms.”
The 5% uplift in visits to attractions was largely driven by an increase in visits to those charging for admission, where there was growth of 7%, and visits to free attractions also growing by 3%.
The Tower of London remains the most visited attraction in the paid for category with 2.9 million visits – an increase of 18.4% on last year, followed by St Pauls Cathedral with 2.1 million visits and Westminster Abbey with 1.8 million visits.
As seen in previous years, many of the most-visited paid for attractions were part of our rich history and heritage, such as Stonehenge, Houses of Parliament & Big Ben, the Roman Baths and Tatton Park – however, wildlife parks and gardens also performed well.
Visits to free attractions were up 3% overall in 2013. The British Museum marked its sixth consecutive year as the most-visited free attraction in England with 6.7 million visitors, followed by the National Gallery, Natural History Museum and Tate Modern. Across the country, the most visited free attractions regionally include Durham Cathedral, the National Railway Museum in York, the Museum of Liverpool and Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, all making the list of twenty most visited free attractions in their regions.
As seen in previous years, certain types of attraction experienced more growth than others. Historic attractions experienced particularly strong growth in 2013 with visits now a quarter higher than they were in 2008, with visits to historic houses/castles up 7% and other historic properties up by 10% in 2013. Visits to Places of Worship had strong results with visits up 13% compared to 2012, farm visits were also up 8% and Wildlife attractions / zoos and visitor/heritage centres both performed well with visits up 6%.
20 Most Visited Free Attractions in Engalnd
*E=Estimate
|
Rank |
Name of Attraction |
Region |
2012 Visitors |
2013 Visitors |
% Change 12-13 |
|
1 |
British Museum |
London |
5,575,946 |
6,701,036 |
+20.2% |
|
2 |
National Gallery |
London |
5,163,902 |
6,031,574 |
+16.8% |
|
3 |
Natural History Museum |
London |
5,021,762 |
5,356,884 |
+6.7% |
|
4 |
Tate Modern |
London |
5,318,688 |
4,884,939 |
-8.2% |
|
5 |
Brighton Pier |
South East |
4,000,000 (E) |
4,000,000 (E) |
0.0% |
|
6 |
Science Museum |
London |
2,989,000 |
3,316,000 |
+10.9% |
|
7 |
Victoria and Albert Museum, South Kensington |
London |
3,231,700 |
3,290,500 |
+1.8% |
|
8 |
National Portrait Gallery |
London |
2,096,858 |
2,014,636 |
-3.9% |
|
9 |
Old Royal Naval College |
London |
1,778,019 |
1,788,712 |
+0.6% |
|
10 |
British Library |
London |
1,413,967 |
1,475,382 |
+4.3% |
|
11 |
National Maritime Museum |
London |
1,128,944 |
1,437,725 |
+27.4% |
|
12 |
Tate Britain |
London |
1,534,781 |
1,378,272 |
-10.2% |
|
13 |
Bristol Museum & Art Gallery |
South West |
1,110,433 |
1,300,503 |
+17.1% |
|
14 |
National Railway Museum |
Yorkshire & Humberside |
716,000 |
931,000 |
+30.0% |
|
15 |
mac Birmingham |
West Midlands |
897,558 |
888,984 |
-1.0% |
|
16 |
Museums Sheffield: Millennium Gallery |
Yorkshire & Humberside |
849,360 |
800,844 |
-5.7% |
|
17 |
Museum of Liverpool |
North West |
1,011,056 |
756,582 |
-25.2% |
|
18 |
Ashmolean Museum |
South East |
844,340 |
747,874 |
-11.4% |
|
19 |
Durham Cathedral |
North East |
600,000 (E) |
712,000 (E) |
+18.7% |
|
20 |
Avenham and Miller Park |
North West |
1,014,800 |
708,100 |
-30.2% |
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
