The Association of Leading Visitor Attractions has released data showing that despite a 69% increase in visitor numbers in 2022 compared to the previous year, UK attractions are still struggling to recover to pre-COVID levels.
Less international tourism has led to a considerable decrease in visitors to some of the UK's most famous galleries and museums, including the National Gallery, whose visitor numbers are down 55% from 2019.
On the other hand, Great Park remained the most popular attraction with a 4% increase in visitors.
Westminster Abbey also saw an increase in visitor numbers, up 551% to over 1 million visitors.
Religious institutions had a good year in 2022, according to figures from the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions.
According to the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions, UK attractions are still struggling to recover their pre-COVID levels due to the slump of international tourism, despite a 69% increase in visitors in 2022 compared to the previous year.
The Natural History Museum topped the list of indoor attractions for a second year with 4,654,608 visitors followed closely by the British Museum and Tate Modern.
Visitor numbers are still down by 23% compared to 2019, affecting many paid-for attractions such as Kew Gardens and London Zoo.
While bigger institutions in Paris have bounced back well, London's museums and galleries are still waiting for the return of Chinese tourists.
Bernard Donoghue from the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions described the challenges facing members of the association as "unprecedented", citing "the cost of living crisis, energy costs and the hangover of Brexit" as being key issues.