More than 41,000 extra visitors have flooded through the doors of major tourist attractions in the Midlands in the last 12 months, the latest figures reveal.

Bosses at art galleries museums, stately homes and gardens in the Black Country and Staffordshire have seen increases in custom of up to 41 per cent for the financial year 2010/11.

They are praising increasing popularity of ‘daycations’ as well as improved facilities and extended opening hours for the rise.

Wolverhampton Art Gallery has enjoyed a bumper year with 25,685 extra visitors. A total of 301,860 visited last year compared to 276,175 the previous year — an increase of 9.3 per cent.

Head of arts & heritage Corinne Miller said: “We are delighted with the increase.  We are dedicated to offering a great visitor experience, and combined with the newly appointed Wolverhampton Information point, this makes us a prime venue in the city.”

The National Trust has also seen an extra 15,800 more visitors pass through its gates at Wightwick Manor and Gardens, in Wightwick, Wolverhampton, Moseley Old Hall, Featherstone, Dudmaston Hall, near Bridgnorth, and Kinver Edge, near Stourbridge.

The organisation claims the rises are largely due to a fall in the number of people taking the traditional two-week summer break in favour of more single days off.

Tony Berry, visitor experience director of the National Trust, said: “Our research reveals an interesting trend for Brits taking multiple single days off work, making the most of their spare time and enjoying these daycations.

“Our visitor numbers for 2009-2010 also reflect this with over 17.2 million paid-for entries and over 50 million visits to enjoy National Trust places, from houses and gardens to the coastline and countryside.”

Kinver Edge, near Stourbridge, saw a 41 per cent rise in visitors in the last 12 months, with 11,450 people passing through the gates. This equates to an extra 3311 customers compared with the previous year, and bosses put the boost partially down to the opening of a new tea-room at the Holy Austin Rock Houses.

Wightwick Manor and Gardens saw a rise of 22.5 per cent compared to the previous year, with 9,775 additional visitors entering the grounds.

The rise was partially explained by an increase in opening hours last summer. For the first time the site was opened seven days a week from July 1 to 31 August  31, 2010.

Moseley Old Hall also saw significant rises in custom — up nearly 11 per cent from the previous year, with 26,773 passing through its doors.

That equates to ,2647 extra visitors, while Dudmaston Estate, near Bridgnorth, saw a modest rise of less than one per cent from the previous year with just 80 extra visitors.

Walsall Leather Museum also saw a rise of two percent in visitors, welcoming an extra 587 people through its doors.

Senior curator Mike Glass said that the rise was due to the museum’s wide events programme and its work with local schools, many of which had not previously visited the Littleton Street West venue.