Visitor drop for Atomium and Brussels museums

The Atomium suffered a 30% drop in visitor numbers in 2016 - and the Musical Instrument Museum nearly 50% - as a result of the 22 March terror attacks.

Management at the Atomium said 430,774 people visited last year, down from 622,396 in 2015. The worst month was April, immediately after the attacks, when numbers were down 60% on April 2015.

December was the only growth month - up by a third year-on-year - because visitor numbers were poor in December 2015 following the Brussels "lockdown" in the wake of the Paris attacks.

The Musée du Cinquantenaire recorded 42,900 visitors in 2016 - down a third from 60,800 a year earlier. The Musical Instrument Museum was among the worst casualties, with visitor numbers falling from 153,700 in 2015 to 77,800 last year.

Belgium's state secretary for science policy Elke Sleurs said too many Belgian schools had stopped organising trips to the Royal Museums of Art and History, despite new reduced prices aimed at attracting groups.

She said advertising campaigns will be launched in the regions outside Brussels - and internationally - to promote the city's museums.