Salisbury Cathedral is one of the top 150 Visitor Attractions in the UK, according to new report out, with 2023 visitor numbers topping pre-pandemic levels 

A recent report issued by the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) shows that Salisbury Cathedral is bucking the trend with 2023 visitor numbers up a third (around 32 per cent) on the previous year, compared with an average growth across all ALVA sites of 19 per cent.

The Cathedral is also one of approximately 17 per cent of ALVA members showing a marked increase in visitor numbers since 2019, the last full year before the pandemic.

Visitor figures have risen by more than 28,000 this year, from 229,332 in 2019 to 257,364 in 2023, an increase of around 12 per cent.

Salisbury Journal: Salisbury Cathedral in summer. Picture by Finnbarr Webster Salisbury Cathedral in summer. Picture by Finnbarr Webster (Image: Finnbarr Webster)

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The figures have been released as part of the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions’ (ALVA) annual report. ALVA members include the UK’s most important and iconic museums, galleries, palaces, cathedrals, historic sites and leisure attractions. 

Responding to the latest report, Jane Morgan, the Cathedral’s Director of External Relations and Visitor Experience, said: "It's great to see visitors returning to the Cathedral and Salisbury after what has been a really tough four years in the visitor sector.

"We have seen a lot of changes here since the pandemic, with a marked increase in the number of independent travellers and slower growth in the international groups market.

"You can never be complacent in this business, but we are cautiously optimistic about the coming year, with Visit Britain predicting a further five per cent growth in inbound tourism in 2024.”

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Canon Edward Probert, Sub Dean and Canon Chancellor, the member of the Clergy responsible for Visitor Experience and Outreach said: “It is heartening to so see many visitors coming to the Cathedral from across the UK and beyond, and I am sure that our strong visitor numbers are due in part to the enormous amount of work done behind the scenes by the Cathedral’s Visitor Experience, Volunteer and Library and Archive teams.

"Since the pandemic they have reworked the visitor journey in the main Cathedral, earning a coveted Visit Britain Best Told Story award, and last year revised the Chapter House and Magna Carta exhibition for the first time since it opened in 2015. These changes make a difference and help to ensure the Cathedral is a welcoming, fresh and inclusive place to visit.”