Two Nottinghamshire attractions have come out on top in the East Midlands according to Visit England’s annual visitor attraction survey. Sherwood Pines and Wollaton Hall were visited more than anywhere else in the region last year.
Around 705,000 people flocked to Sherwood Pines, a popular forest park near Edwinstowe, which boasts a visitor centre, a cafe, Go Ape's tree top fun and plenty of opportunities for walking, cycling and jogging. In second place is Wollaton Park, which attracted approximately 651,000 visitors.
The impressive visitor numbers put them comfortably ahead of other big regional attractions. Tourism chiefs at Visit Nottinghamshire said they're backed up by strong numbers across the region in 2021, with visits increasing in the East Midlands by 22% compared to 2020, demonstrating the industry’s recovery following the pandemic.
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Visit England’s annual visitor attraction survey is one of the largest in the industry looking at visitor numbers. It surveyed 1,142 different visitor attractions throughout England in 2021.
Visit Nottinghamshire's marketing and communications manager Kinga Kapias said: "Seeing Sherwood Pines and Wollaton Hall topping Visit England’s annual visitor attraction survey in the East Midlands is incredibly positive for Nottingham and Nottinghamshire’s visitor economy.
"It demonstrates their huge appeal and the power they have to bring hundreds of thousands of visitors into the region. They’re terrific attractions with both national and international draw and their visitor numbers are testament to their great offering.
“It’s also encouraging to see that visitor numbers are slowly returning and that the industry is bouncing back following the pandemic. The data released by Visit England also demonstrates the importance of tourism for the local economy and the potential of visitor attractions to draw huge numbers of people into Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.”
A Forestry England spokesperson said: "2021 was definitely a really busy year for Sherwood Pines, and it was great to see so many people coming to enjoy everything we have on offer here. As well as providing a beautiful destination for a day out, the forest environment is also scientifically proven to have many health and wellbeing benefits, which has been important for so many of us during these unsettling times.
"And although things may feel more normal now, our walking trails, cycling trails, play areas and picnic spots are still a popular draw for people across the East Midlands as a place to recharge, refresh and escape the daily grind.”
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