The British Museum is once again the most visited free attraction in England and the Tower of London is the most visited paid attraction, according to the latest Annual Attractions Survey from VisitBritain.

Hampton Court Palace © Historic Royal Palaces

Each year, VisitBritain invites all English visitor attractions to take part in its annual survey, recording visitor numbers alongside key information like entrance fees and visitor profiles. The results of the survey are reported annually, providing an overview of the visitor attraction sector.

Overall, visits to attractions increased 2% in 2016, with gardens and zoos showing growth of 8%, historic houses and castles reporting a 7% increase and country parks a 4% increase. The British Museum was the most visited free attraction for the ninth consecutive year and the Tower of London was the most visited paid attraction for the eighth consecutive year.

Hampton Court Palace in Richmond-upon-Thames, London, was one of the fastest growing paid attractions, with a 50% increase in visitors. Chester Zoo in North West England also saw substantial growth, with 25% more visitors in 2016, making it the second most popular paid attraction.

Tate Modern in London was one of the fastest growing free attractions, with visits up 24% in 2016, and third only to the British Museum and the National Gallery in popularity. Merseyside Maritime Museum in Liverpool saw a 27% increase in visitor numbers, making it into the top 20 free attractions for the first time.

Tourism Minister John Glen said: "We have an amazing range of world-class attractions in England that draw in millions of visitors every year. Whether it is our unique historic buildings, internationally important museums or stunning gardens, there is a huge amount to see and do. Ensuring that all parts of the country benefit from our tourism industry is a key government priority so it is fantastic to see such growth across the regions." 

Janet Redler, Chief Executive of Janet Redler Travel & Tourism, added: “The VisitBritain Annual Attractions Survey is a valuable snapshot of how England’s leading attractions are performing. For visitors to the UK, and indeed those of us in the inbound travel trade, it is a fascinating insight into which attractions are most popular and which up and coming attractions are doing well.”

Click here to read more about the latest survey and to access the full report.