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Visit England report shows 6% increase

Visitor Attraction Trends in England 2018, August 2019

Introduction

This report presents the findings of the Survey of Visits to Visitor Attractions undertaken in England by VisitEngland. The report provides a comprehensive England-wide analysis of trends plus visits data for individual attractions.

Objectives

To monitor trends in the visitor attraction sector in England and to improve understanding of the dynamics of the sector. Findings contribute to estimates of the economic impact of tourism and inform development and planning work. Results allow operators to benchmark their operation within their category, within their region and across the sector as a whole.

Survey Method

Attractions have the option of either online or postal survey completion. All attractions for whom email contacts are held are sent an email invitation with a link to their attraction’s online questionnaire. Attractions not responding are subsequently sent a postal questionnaire alongside attractions with no or only generic email contacts. A copy of the questionnaire is appended. BVA BDRC holds the contract for the survey in England and is responsible for the preparation of this report. It is important to highlight that major individual attractions can have a strong impact upon the proportion of visits within each region and attraction category. Their participation or nonparticipation in the survey year-on-year can result in large fluctuations in the data within each region and attraction category.

Visitor Attraction Definition

“…an attraction where it is feasible to charge admission for the sole purpose of sightseeing. The attraction must be a permanently established excursion destination, a primary purpose of which is to allow access for entertainment, interest, or education and can include places of worship (but excludes small parish churches); rather than being primarily a retail outlet or a venue for sporting, theatrical, or film performances. It must be open to the public, without prior booking, for published periods each year, and should be capable of attracting day visitors or tourists as well as local residents. In addition, the attraction must be a single business, under a single management, so that it is capable of answering the economic questions on revenue, employment etc.”

Read the full report here.

See also: https://www.artsprofessional.co.uk/news/museum-and-art-gallery-attendance-bounces-back