Zoo which is home to more than 20,000 animals welcomed almost 1.9m visitors in 2016 and was beaten only by the Tower of London with 2.7m, according to Visit England. Tony McDonough reports

Chester Zoo has risen three places to second the the list of most-visited paid-for tourist attractions in the UK.

The attraction, located close to the Liverpool city region, welcomed almost 1.9m visitors in 2016 and was beaten only by the Tower of London with 2.7m, according to Visit England.

The zoo came in fifth in 2015 but in 2016 leapfrogged Westminster Abbey, Kew Gardens and Saint Paul’s Cathedral to come in second.

Chester Zoo unveils its vision for the next decade – click to read more

The news comes just days after Chester Zoo was awarded official World Host Organisation status – making it one of the friendliest attractions in the UK.

Chester Zoo’s chief operating officer, Jamie Christon, said: “The opening of our ground-breaking Islands habitats, taking visitors on an expedition through six South East Asian islands and bringing our overseas conservation work to life, is just one of many reasons that almost 1.9m people chose to spend their time with us last year.

“Thank you to every one of them. Every visitor who walks through our gates helps to fund the vital conservation work we deliver to protect threatened species here in the UK and all around the world.

“That is crucial to our success as people know their visit is making a difference. 

Chester Zoo is home to more than 20,000 animals and 500 different species, spread across 125 acres of zoological gardens.

It was named the best zoo in the UK and within the top 10 globally by travel website TripAdvisor, and contributes almost £50m per year to the North West of England’s economy according to an Economic Impact report published in December 2016.