Record breaking year for the UK’s culture industry

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport has said that almost 50 million people visited museums and galleries in the UK last year, the highest number since records began.

DCMS-sponsored museums make up seven of the top 10 most popular free visitor attractions in the UK, and the British Museum, the Tate Modern, the Natural History Museum and V&A were in the top 10 most popular art museums in the world in 2018.

The data indicates that visitor numbers at the 15 DCMS-sponsored museums and galleries saw a 5.5 per cent increase in 2018/19 compared to the previous year, with the figures also revealing that around half of all visitors were from overseas, confirming the important role that museums and galleries play in attracting international tourists.

There has also been a dramatic increase in the number of visitors to museums and galleries outside of London, with the figures revealing an 11 per cent jump compared to the previous year.

Arts Minister Helen Whately said: “It’s been a blockbuster year for our museums and galleries. I’m delighted that they’re going from strength to strength and attracting audiences from all over the world. It’s fantastic to see the huge rise in the number of visits by children and young people - showing that our museums and galleries are doing a great job attracting new audiences and reaching a new generation.”