Japanese Manga makes British Museum UK's top attraction

The British Museum has regained its crown as Britain's best-loved visitor attraction thanks to its Japanese Manga exhibition.

Manga is the broad term for comics and graphic novels with distinctive illustrations that form part of a genre-spanning, multibillion-pound publishing industry.

More than six million people stepped through the doors of the British Museum in 2019 as this unconventional material drew younger crowds, according to cultural sector experts.

Research by the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) shows that 144 million visits were made to UK attractions as history overtook avant garde art, and the Tate Modern lost out on its 2018 top spot.

The touring of Dippy the dinosaur's bones which once hung in the Natural History Museum has proven a hit with visitors, and historical series Outlander has driven tourism in Scotland

All of the top ten 2019 attractions based in London, but experts believe left-field exhibitions gave the British Museum an edge due to curators taking less formal art forms seriously.

The paid Manga show at the Bloomsbury building attracted the “youngest and most diverse audience” for one of its temporary exhibitions, and ALVA members believe institutions should embrace similar modern trends.

“What we’re seeing is curators taking these things seriously,” said ALVA director Bernard Donoghue.

“Whether it's fans of comics or of gaming, offering something new is attracting new audiences.

“Manga was a huge success, and the V&A in Dundee had great success with its work on video games.  It’s the diversity of the offering that allows museums to appeal to so many people.”

Overall 144 million visits were made to the top 266 ALVA sites in the UK, compared to 138 million  visits in 2018.

The influence of TV has  driven a surge in visitors at picturesque sites, with Scottish attractions like Doune Castle and Linlithgow Palace getting a tourism boost accredited to historical series Outlander.

“Dippy on Tour has also been a hit everywhere,” said Mr Donoghue of the roving remains of the dinosaurs which has been displayed in cities from Birmingham to Belfast.

“Everywhere it went there was a surge of visitors.”

Mr Donoghue added that it was important to make use of the museums, galleries and sites available in the UK in order to protect them in the wake of the Covid-19 lockdown.