Leicestershire public park in top 3% of visitor attractions in England.
New figures have revealed that a number of attractions in Leicester and Leicestershire saw their visitor numbers grow last year.
The VisitEngland Annual Survey of Visits to Visitor Attractions has shown that Bradgate Park is the most popular local attraction, reporting over 724,000 visitors in 2023, up from 720,000 in the previous year. This puts the Leicestershire public park in the top 50 and top 3% of visitor attractions in England.
Acting leader of Leicestershire County Council, Deborah Taylor, said: "More and more people are choosing to visit Leicestershire and enjoy the wealth of attractions on offer.
"Bradgate Park remains a favourite for local and visitors alike and I’m pleased that free museums are also proving increasingly popular.
"Innovative campaigns targeting visitors keen to sample Leicestershire’s produce, discover fascinating tales and enjoy a more active break are helping to put our county on the map."
In the East Midlands, there are five Leicestershire attractions in the top 10 free to visit attractions.
Based on visitor numbers recorded in 2022 and 2023:
2: Leicester Museum and Art Gallery, up 19% from 222,128 to 263,622
5: Guildhall Museum in Leicester, up 31% from 38,063 to 49,939
7: Newarke Houses Museum in Leicester, up 38% from 34,588 to 47,644
8: Abbey Pumping Station in Leicester, up 26% from 37,744 to 47,554
10: Charnwood Museum, down 10% from 43,113 to 38,994
Key visitor numbers from other local attractions not included in the VisitEngland survey include:
Visitor numbers for Twycross Zoo in 2023 were 590,539, making this popular zoo the third most popular paid for attraction in the East Midlands
National Space Centre with 330,731 visitors in 2023, which broke the record from the previous one of 326,821, set in 2019, is the seventh most popular paid for attraction in the East Midlands. Both Twycross Zoo and National Space Centre are in the top 10% of paid for visitor attractions in England
Bosworth Battlefield welcomed 33,524 visitors in 2023, up from 33,366 in 2022 - although this included an additional 4,500 people who came to the Medieval Festival in 2022, temporarily replaced by a smaller Medieval Medley event in 2023 that accounted for just over 1,000 people
The headline national statistics from the VisitEngland survey are:
Attractions in England reported an 11% increase in the volume of total visits from 2022 (176.87m) to 2023 (196.14m), however this is still 28% below 2019 pre-Covid levels (273.75m) and admissions to English attractions rose at a slower rate in 2023 compared to the previous 2 years which recovered rapidly following Covid
Museums / Art Galleries and Places of Worship received the highest increase in visits year on year (20%) and (19%) respectively
In 2023, the sector grew due to an increase in overseas visits to attractions (+80% on 2022) and an increase in school trips in 2023. Overall, sites reported a 2% decline in domestic visits
The highest performing attractions executed a range of actions to boost visits. These included:
Investment in marketing – with more use of social media, and return to use of promotional leaflets
Community outreach
Better programming – increase in targeted events and improved experiences
Extending/ enhancing facilities – play areas, tea room, exhibition spaces
Diversification – actively seeking to attract new audiences through programming
City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: "We’re extremely proud of the city’s history and heritage, so it’s great to hear that four out of the 10 most-visited free attractions in the East Midlands are museums here in Leicester.
"Our permanent attractions, such as the Dinosaur Gallery at Leicester Museum & Art Gallery, or the giant beam engines at the Abbey Pumping Station, remain firm favourites with visitors, while a wide range of popular events and temporary exhibitions throughout the year ensure there’s always something new to see.
"With visitor numbers rising, it’s clear that our museums continue to be an important destination for people looking for a great day out."
The VisitEngland Annual Survey of Visits to Visitor Attractions is carried out on behalf of VisitEngland by BVA BDRC and the 2023 report is based on a survey of 1,513 England visitor attractions. The full report is available here.
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