Record visitor numbers celebrated at RSPB Bempton Cliffs

91,667 visitors have been recorded so far this year, up from 69,666 in the same six months last year – meaning the reserve is on track to have its highest annual visitor figures ever.

The nature reserve has put its success down to a range of factors, including the seasonally good weather, offering the warmest of Yorkshire welcomes, as well as the impact of being showcased on national television.

However, reserve visitor experience manager, Poppy Rummery, also believes the word is simply getting out that Bempton is a must-see visitor attraction on any trip to Yorkshire.

As well as record visitor numbers Bempton is also celebrating a 90% score in the annual VisitEngland quality assessments for visitor attractions.

Bempton Cliffs was commended for its exceptional standards, easy to use website, warm visitor welcome and quality of the café.

This means it has qualified for a nomination for a ‘Best Visitor Welcome’ accolade 2024/2025, and successful attractions will be notified late summer/early Autumn.

Praise was also given for its outstanding accessibility for visitors with both visible and non-visible disabilities.

Poppy said: “Not only have we seen good numbers of gannets and other seabirds here, but we also now have the best visitor figures ever!

"We used to be a hidden gem but now the word is well and truly out, and people are traveling from the UK and right across Europe to see these amazing birds. We’ve had people from Holland, Germany and even Australia!"

Scott Davison-Smith, commercial operations manager, said: “We’re delighted with these visitor numbers. People are realising that getting away from their smart phones and computer screens is a brilliant way to relax and that nature can be so restorative. They just want to re-connect with nature and what better way to do it than visit the only place in Yorkshire where you can see this amazing seabird spectacle.

“It’s heartening too to know that our visitors want to help make a difference for nature. Doing more to look after our marine environment has never been more important given the range of threats our seabirds face and every visit made helps us to conserve the special wildlife here”.

Whilst Bempton is celebrating the visitor figures, Davison-Smith has cautioned it’s important people understand not everything is well with our seabird populations.

The most recent seabird census, published in November 2023, found that more than half (62%) of the seabird species on British and Irish coasts have declined over the last 20 years. And, shockingly, around one in four puffins have been lost from across the UK since 2000.