Number of visitors to Guggenheim Bilbao up 6,000 visitors in 2011

The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao ended 2011 with an increase of 6,000 visitors, 0.62 % more than in the previous year, the art gallery announced in its latest press release.  In total, the museum received 962,358 visitors during the entire twelve month period.

Figures exceeded the museum's initial forecasts for 2011, as it was believed the current economic climate would have a negative effect on the number of people who would pay to visit the attraction.

In terms of the geographic origin of museum-goers, the number of people who came from overseas made up 62% of the total number of visitors, just as in 2011. There was a particular decrease (2%) in the number of guests coming from France, and visitors from U.K (8%), Germany (7%), United States (6%) and Italy (5%) kept steady.

Visitors from elsewhere in Spain made up 24% of the total, and those from the Basque Country 14%, figures which remained more or else equal to the previous year.