Staycations Help UK Attractions Weather Tough Financial Times

Some of the UK’s leading tourists destinations seem to have escaped the worst of the financial downturn. Quite to the contrary, some spots have seen a rise in tourists, particularly domestic tourists.

The Guinness Storehouse saw a record 1,020,000 visitors for 2009, the first time that the visitor centre has seen a million guests in one year. Mark McGovern, a spokesman for the Guinness Hop Store, said that the company saw a great year and that a lot of their visitors have come from Europe.

Similarly, Dublin Zoo also experienced a great 2009 in tourism. Head of marketing over at the zoo, Veronica Chrisp, said that the zoo hosted over 900,000 visitors and pulled in more revenue than in previous years.

Dublinia & The Viking World was another prominent UK attraction which saw an increase in visitors, even despite having been shut down for a period of time last year for renovations.

Other venues around the UK had similar stories to tell. Some of the increased success is partly due to many UK residents remaining at home over last holiday season to save money. Due to the increased number of staycations, local venues saw a rise in visitors.