One year on and JORVIK shows that the Vikings continue to be a tourism magnet for York

The Norse warriors and managers of JORVIK Viking Centre will be raising a celebratory glass of mead today (Monday 9 April 2018) as figures are revealed for the first year since a re-imagined attraction re-opened its doors to the public. In the 12 months since the latest incarnation of JORVIK Viking Centre opened its doors on 8 April 2017, owner York Archaeological Trust has welcomed over 420,000 visitors through the doors.

“This has been a remarkable year – we’d set ourselves a target of increasing visitors numbers to JORVIK Viking Centre by over 30% since reopening, and we’re delighted to have achieved significantly more – and we are on track to hit our two-year target of 500,000 visitors to JORVIK alone by this time next year,” comments director of attractions, Sarah Maltby. “The ride is now slightly slower, which we were aware would have an impact on our peak capacity, but the more spacious galleries enable visitors to spend more time looking at artefacts recovered on site, as well as touring exhibitions from the British Museum and Ashmolean Museum.”

Indeed, the public response to the newly reimagined JORVIK Viking Centre has been tremendous – with the realistic new animatronics and the artefact galleries being singled out for particular praise on websites like TripAdvisor. “Each incarnation of JORVIK has improved on the last, both in terms of the realistic presentation and the accuracy of detail that we’ve been able to add, driven by 30 years of research into the Coppergate Dig by York Archaeological Trust – there is so much detail contained in the 16 minute long ride through the Viking-age street reconstruction, but with admission tickets valued for 12 months, visitors are very welcome to return to soak up every detail,” adds Sarah.

The strong visitor figures for JORVIK Viking Centre are not only good news for the Trust, but also for York. A new piece of research commissioned during York’s Year of the Vikings shows that JORVIK brings in at least £18 million to the local economy, based on the spend of visitors who are attracted by the city’s Norse heritage.

Visitors still have six weeks to see one of the most recent additions to JORVIK Viking Centre – a loan of the Watlington Hoard, a rare collection of coins and hack silver discovered in Oxfordshire, from the Ashmolean Museum. The 55 items from the Watlington Hoard remain on display until 21 May 2018.

For more information, or to book to visit JORVIK Viking Centre, please visit www.jorvikvikingcentre.co.uk

ENDS

Notes to editors:

The five attractions in the JORVIK Group are:

JORVIK Viking Centre

DIG

Barley Hall

The Richard III Experience at Monk Bar

The Henry VII Experience at Micklegate Bar

For further media information or photographs, please contact:

Jay Commins

Pyper York Limited