SA's most popular attractions revealed

Also making the top 10 list of South Australia's most visited attractions are cultural icons such as the Art Gallery of South Australia and nature experiences including Morialta Conservation Park.

The list is revealed in the South Australian Tourism Commission's Visitation to Major Attractions and Events in South Australia Research Report, released today.

Tourism Minister Jane Lomax-Smith says the State's most visited attractions reveal a diversity of South Australia's key tourism experiences.

"South Australia is famous for its wonderful local produce and dining experiences, so it's no surprise that the Adelaide Central Market is the State's most visited attraction," Minister Lomax-Smith says.

"Adelaide is also known as a cultured, cosmopolitan city. The hundreds of thousands of people who visited the Botanic Gardens, South Australian Museum and State Library in the past year show that we're living up to that reputation.

"Our most popular cultural attractions are within walking distance of one another and almost all of them are free to visit - an added bonus for tourists seeking convenience and culture.''

Minister Lomax-Smith says the new South Australian Tourism Commission report also demonstrates the popularity of the State's regional cultural and nature-based tourism experiences, with 16 regional attractions being visited by more than 80,000 people last year. These include:

• Mount Lofty Summit (332,700 visitors), Mount Lofty Botanic Garden (172,600 visitors), Cleland Wildlife Park (98,000) and Melba's Chocolate Factory (171,700 visitors) in the Adelaide Hills;
• Kangaroo Island's Flinders Chase National Park (109,800 visitors) and Seal Bay Conservation Park (109,600 visitors);
• Victor Harbor Horse Drawn Tram (134,800 visitors);
• Flinders Ranges National Park (136,900 visitors) and Wadlata Outback Centre (98,400);
• Innes National Park on the Yorke Peninsula (139,200 visitors);
• Coorong National Park (122,300 visitors);
• Banrock Station (100,000 visitors) in the Riverland; and
• Monarto Zoo (98,900 visitors) in the Murraylands.

Minister Lomax-Smith says the results demonstrate the enormous range of world-class cultural and nature tourism attractions located in regional South Australia.

A list of the top 10 most visited South Australian attractions is attached.

South Australia's most visited attractions in 2004-05:

Name of Attraction/No. of Visitors
1 Adelaide Central Market 8,500,000
2 State Library of South Australia 1,021,300
3 Adelaide Botanic Garden (excluding Botanic Park) 982,500
4 South Australian Museum 653,800
5 Art Gallery of South Australia 500,100
6 Adelaide Zoo 372,800
7 Belair National Park 343,900
8 Mount Lofty Summit 332,700
9 Morialta Conservation Park 184,000
10 Mount Lofty Botanic Garden 172,600

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