Drawing almost 5.6m visitors during 2012, the British Museum topped the list for the sixth year running.
Second and third places were taken by the Tate Modern and National Gallery with 5.3m and 5.16m respectively.
Attendance at the Tate Modern was up 9% of the previous year. The Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (Alva) attributed the venue’s successful year to Damien Hirst’s retrospective
South Kensington’s cluster of museums continue to be a big draw, with the Natural History Museum, V&A and Science Museum completing the top five.
While all three increased their visitor numbers, the biggest gains were enjoyed by the V&A which saw an increase of 16%, thanks to their Hollywood Costume exhibition.
Although the Olympics saw many venues suffer a downturn in visitors, the ALVA’s Bernard Donoghue said there was an “almost immediate” recovery “after the Games left town.”
Mr Donoghue said his members were “delighted with the visitor figures” and said “2013 looks like it is going to be a promising year for Alva members.”
UK’s Top Ten Most Visit Tourist Destinations
Source: The Association of Leading Visitor Attractions
