Official figures have revealed that the British Museum was – for the second year in a row – the UK’s most-visited attraction in 2024. While visitor numbers for cultural attractions are rising, however, the sector remains fragile.
The British Museum has claimed the top spot once again as the UK’s most-visited attraction, with 6,479,952 people walking through its doors in 2024. That’s an 11% increase on the previous year, and it’s the second year in a row that the museum has topped the charts.
Just behind in second place, the Natural History Museum in London saw a similar 11% rise, welcoming 6,301,972 visitors.
As for the broader picture, the UK’s top attractions – ranging from Windsor Great Park to the National Museum of Scotland – saw strong growth.
In Scotland, Edinburgh’s National Museum of Scotland remained the top attraction, moving up to 11th place in the UK rankings with 2,314,974 visitors – a 6% increase. The National Galleries Scotland’s main site saw 1,999,196 visitors, reflecting a 9% rise, while Edinburgh Castle followed closely behind with 1,981,152 visits.
In Northern Ireland, Titanic Belfast held onto its position as the most-visited attraction, with a 10% increase to 881,573 visitors, ranking 35th overall.
Wales saw Cardiff’s St Fagans National Museum of History lead the way with 600,690 visits, placing it 62nd on the list.
But it’s not all smooth sailing for the sector. Overall visits to 400 Alva (Association of Leading Visitor Attractions) sites were still down by 8.8% compared to pre-pandemic 2019 figures.
While attractions like Buckingham Palace, which had its most visited summer in history, are seeing a boost, the sector is far from stable. As Alva director Bernard Donoghue put it, “the recovery of visitor attractions and the broader cultural and heritage economies remains fragile.”
Donoghue, quoted by the BBC, acknowledged the ongoing “economic recovery” from the Covid lockdown and the impact of the cost-of-living crisis, noting – more optimistically – that despite challenges, visitors are still prioritising day trips to favourite spots.
Even key cultural players are facing severe financial challenges, in spite of good visitor numbers.
Tate, which operates four galleries in England (with Tate Modern coming in 4th on Alva’s list), announced a 7% staff reduction earlier this month, equating to roughly 40 jobs, as they battle a financial deficit worsened by the pandemic.
