Dundee Science Centre has received national praise for its bumper visitor figure

Dundee Science Centre welcomed 65,335 visitors into the Centre in 2015, compared to 57,797 in 2014, a 13% increase.  The news is especially significant given that, in both 2014 and 2013, visitor figures at Dundee Science Centre had dropped slightly.

Of all ASVA attractions in Dundee, a significant visitor number increase was also experienced by Mills Observatory, whose figure rose by 25%.  Complementing their offer, and sparking fresh interest in all-things astronomy was Dundee Science Centre’s ‘Destination Space’ activities, linked to the touchdown of the first British astronaut in Space for over 20 years.

Dundee Science Centre has also hosted, and will continue to host throughout 2016, monthly ‘Meet the Expert’ events, with guests ranging from guide dogs and tarantulas to ancient musical instruments and computer games.

Lorraine Lemon, Business Manager said, “We are absolutely delighted to see these figures in black and white which are testament to our success in making Dundee Science Centre appealing, relevant and accessible to a variety of audiences.  Although our remit extends beyond a visitor attraction, it’s clearly our core business and we would like to thank each and every single person who visited, and continues to visit, Dundee Science Centre and to help make it the success that it is.  It’s also promising to see such a healthy start to 2016, with over 600 people attending February’s Animal Day alone!”

She continued, “There is no doubt that our ever-changing and truly dynamic city, and its growing appeal to visitors, also plays a part. Dundee has a real buzz about it and, with significant investments bearing fruit, it has a huge amount to offer, whether you’re a day tripping family from Perth or travelling across the miles from further afield.  That appeal can only grow as the completion of the Waterfront area and V&A nudge ever closer, and we are incredibly excited to be part of it.”

In the weeks and months ahead, Dundee Science Centre will host a \'Magnificent Microbes\' event (March), dinosaur activities in April and a focus on design and making in May.   Meanwhile, as Tim Peake, the European Space Agency’s first British Astronaut returns from his expedition to the International Space Station, ‘Destination Space’ continues on through 2016, with the chance to recreate some of the experiments he did in space, explore space science, and take a look at space survival. The second half of the year will see activities linked to everything from CSI and the Olympics to food, natural disasters and explosions!

Commending Dundee Science Centre, Douglas Walker, Chair of ASVA said, “After a number of challenging years for the sector, it is clear that visitor attractions are entering what we hope will be a period of sustained growth.  The rise in visitor numbers to Dundee Science Centre is welcome news, and the team there have clearly excelled by investing in their visitor offer, developing innovative new products and services and launching creative events and exhibitions programmes, all of which are vital for keeping visitors coming back time and again”.

ASVA, which represents the interests of the key visitor attractions sector in Scotland, has over 450 members comprising some of Scotland’s most popular and iconic castles, galleries, museums, historic houses, heritage sites, science centres, wildlife parks, gardens and leisure attractions.

Analysis of statistics submitted by almost 260 of the organisation’s member sites for its annual ‘Visitor Trends Report’ confirms that over 27 million visits were made to those sites Scotland in 2015, a rise of 3.4% over 2014 figures.  The increase comes on top of a 6% rise in 2014, suggesting that visitor attractions in Scotland are currently enjoying a period of sustained growth.