Visit Britain’s Annual England Attractions Survey results
Each year, VisitBritain (the British tourism authority) undertakes a survey of English attractions to determine which are the most popular. VisitBritain explains that: “Each year, we invite all English visitor attractions to take part in an annual survey, recording visitor numbers alongside key information like entrance fees and visitor profiles.” This is a voluntary survey but does give a general idea of the popularity of various attractions in England, both paid entry and free.
VisitBritain reminds survey users that, “…the lists of English attractions included in the report only feature those that choose to participate and make their results public.” It’s also important to bear in mind that these are the 2019 results – the picture for 2020 will be rather different, we imagine. We will be watching with interest next year when those come out!
Also, bear in mind that these are for England only and don’t include Wales, Scotland, or Ireland.
Nonetheless, we think it’s really interesting and a great guideline for those wondering where to start in planning their trip! The 2019 results were released on 20 October 2020; read on for the top attractions – a little inspiration for your next trip.
Top 20 most visited PAID attractions
- Tower of London, London
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (aka Kew Gardens)
- Chester Zoo, Upton-by-Chester, Cheshire
- St Paul’s Cathedral, London
- Windermere Lake Cruises, Bowness
- Stonehenge, Wiltshire
- Westminster Abbey, London
- Roman Baths, Bath
- Old Royal Navy College, Greenwich
- Royal Academy of Arts, London
- Canterbury Cathedral, Canterbury
- RHS Gardens Wisley, Wisley
- ZSL London Zoo, London
- National Museum Royal Navy, Portsmouth
- Hampton Court Palace, Richmond
- Houses of Parliament, London
- Longleat Safari & Adventure Park, Warminster
- Eden Project, Cornwall
- Blenheim Palace, Woodstock
- Tower Bridge Exhibition, London
Top 20 most visited FREE attractions
- British Museum, London (pictured left)
- Tate Modern, London
- The National Gallery, London
- Natural History Museum South Kensington, London
- Brighton Pier, Brighton
- V & A South Kensington, London
- Science Museum, London
- Somerset House, London
- Tate Britain, London
- National Portrait Gallery, London
- British Library, London
- The Abbey Gardens and Abbey Ruins, Bury St Edmunds
- Imperial War Museum, London
- Midlands Art Centre (MAC) Birmingham
- Museum of Liverpool, Liverpool
- Horniman Museum and Gardens, London
- Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, Oxford
- Serpentine Gallery, London
- Merseyside Maritime Museum, Liverpool
- Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Oxford
We’re ready to help you with your England bucket list! Get in touch at sales@britishtips.com or fill in the contact form.