Chester Zoo named third most popular UK attraction as 1.6 million people visit
Chester Zoo has been named the third most popular attraction in the UK after than 1.6 million people visited last year.
New data released by The Association of Leading Visitor Attractions revealed the zoo welcomed 1,601,327 people in 2021, a 35 per cent increase on the previous year's figures.
The new numbers, which only include attractions that are members of the association, rank the conservation-focused zoo as the most visited paid-for attraction outside of London and third overall in the UK.
The National Trust's Attingham Park near Shrewsbury is the only other attraction in the region in the top 100 and is ranked 26th on the list with 597,000 visitors last year.
By far the most popular in the country was Windsor Park, the home of Windsor Castle, which 5.4 million people visited last year while the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew was second with just under 2 million visitors.
Bosses at Chester Zoo thanked its visitors for helping the charity get back on its feet after the coronavirus lockdowns.
Jamie Christon, Chester Zoo’s CEO, said: “The last few years have been incredibly challenging for everyone, and for us it’s been no different. With so much uncertainty deriving from lockdowns, closures and other restrictions, there were times when our future was on shaky ground.
"Our visitors enable us to care for the highly threatened species here at the zoo, while supporting the many vital conservation projects that we carry out, both globally and here in the UK. We’re so grateful that the public returned in such large numbers - their love and support for us has never wavered.
“These new ALVA figures clearly go to show just how much people care about what we do here. Every single person who has visited has played a part in helping us to get back to our feet after a tough time – the support has been incredible – and crucially it means we’re able to push on with our mission to prevent extinction. As a charity, that’s everything to us.”
Chester Zoo, recognised as a world leading conservation and education charity, currently supports more than 80 projects that are fighting to prevent extinction in 20 countries worldwide.
