Visitors flock to free attractions in recession

Published: 7:30AM GMT twenty-four February 2010

Britons staying at home for holidays and abroad tourists captivated by the diseased bruise additionally helped Britain"s heading attractions acquire 10.9 per cent some-more visitors in 2009 than 2008.

Free-admission attractions such as the National Gallery (up 9%) the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich, south easterly London, (up 15%) and the Victoria and Albert Museum (up 10%) all had successful years in 2009, sum from the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (Alva) showed.

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Although welcoming 6.1% fewer visitors last year than in 2008, the British Museum, with 5.57 million visits, surfaced the Alva list, followed by the National Gallery (4.78 million) and the Tate Modern (4.74 million).

One of the greatest increases in visits last year was at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, that welcomed 537,120 people - a 43.6% enlarge on the 2008 total.

Alva pronounced 82% of caller attractions were confident about the evident future, compared with 60% this time last year.

Around 53% of Alva members polled thought their revenues would essentially enlarge in 2010. However, there was counsel about how the zone can go on to be postulated in the longer term.

Asked what they would similar to to see, Alva members pronounced there should be some-more incentives to get tourists to revisit and stay in Britain, rather than fatiguing tourists, with 35% citing this as their tip priority for the subsequent Parliament.

Members would additionally similar to to see a rebate in VAT rates on acknowledgment tickets, and extended Government appropriation to capacitate VisitBritain to foster the UK to intensity tourists abroad.

Alva executive Robin Broke said: ""The tourism industry played a critical purpose in Britain"s economy last year, with heading attractions operative tough to say caller sum and income in a severe mercantile environment.

""As the domestic parties hope for for the ubiquitous election, they should cruise how most appropriate to assistance the industry maximize the income it can beget and the one more jobs it can create.""