This year, during English Tourism Week, ALVA announced that its member sites welcomed 157.2 million visits in 2024, a 3.4% increase from the previous year. While numbers are still 8.8% below 2019 levels, it's great to see continued growth and recovery across the sector.

Bernard Donoghue OBE, Director of ALVA, shared some insights into the visitor trends for 2024, describing it as a year of steady but modest growth for attractions. While visitor numbers continued to recover post-pandemic, challenges like the cost-of-living crisis, rising business expenses, and fewer international tourists made it a financially tough year for many attractions. Increased National Insurance costs and changes to employment allowances have also impacted budgets, forcing some attractions to scale back investment plans or even cut jobs.

Despite these challenges, Bernard has highlighted the enduring appeal of cultural and heritage attractions. Visitors continue to prioritise meaningful day trips, maintain memberships with their favourite venues, and seek out special experiences with loved ones.

When we look at the list, we can see that London remains home to 16 of the top 20 most-visited attractions, but visitor growth was actually stronger in other parts of the UK. While London saw a 3% rise in visitor numbers, Scotland and Northern Ireland grew by 3.2% on average. The biggest increase in England (outside London) was in the East Midlands, with a 4.5% rise, followed by Yorkshire and Humberside at 4.2%.

Here’s the top 100:

These figures highlight the resilience of the visitor attraction sector and the enduring importance of cultural and heritage experiences. While the industry continues to navigate financial pressures, it’s encouraging to see a steady recovery and increasing visitor confidence.

Simon Jones, Managing Director here at Navigate added;

"It is well reported that the last few years have been tough for our industry and it’s great to see continued signs of visitor growth. 2025 has so far seen a positive start for many attractions, which will help overcome some of the challenges highlighted by Bernard

From a personal note of satisfaction, it is also great to see so many partners we have worked with feature in the top 100."

At Navigate, we’re passionate about supporting attractions in reaching new audiences and driving engagement through effective marketing. As we look ahead, we’re excited to see how the sector continues to evolve and grow.