Press Office: Press Releases
Tate Modern - the most popular modern art museum in the world
Press release: 11 May 2001
Tate Modern has had 5.25 million visitors in its first year, making the new gallery the most popular modern art museum in the world and the third most popular tourist attraction in Britain.
The gallery helped create approximately 3,000 jobs in London and has brought economic benefits to London of around £100 million a year, helping to generate between £50 and £70 million of economic benefits to Southwark, one of the most disadvantaged boroughs in London.
- Over 100,000 school children visited the Gallery in organised groups
- 135,000 Tate Audios were used (sponsored by Bloomberg)
- 9,800 visitors took part in family workshops
- An increase of 46% to Tate Membership, from 26,000 to 38,000
- 1.5 million postcards were sold
- 55,000 Tate Modern Handbooks were sold
- 850,000 teas and coffees were served
The majority of Tate Modern's visitors were from the UK. 37% came from the London region and 34% from the rest of Britain. 29% of visitors were from overseas, with Europe and North America contributing 12% and 11% each. 75% of Tate Modern's audience were on their first visit and 50% of were under 35. The average visit length was 2 hours 14 minutes.
Notes to Editors
Contacts for press enquiries only:
Erica Bolton/Jane Quinn: 020 7 221 5000
Nadine Thompson/Sioban Ketelaar: 020 7887 8730/31/01
Please note that these contacts are only for press enquiries. For public enquiries see the Contact Us section of the website.
