INFORMATION FOR MEDIA

Bournemouth Fast Facts

• 6.88m visitors to per year1 • 1,009,000 staying visitor trips2 • £287,521,000 staying visitor spend2 • 5,798,000 day visits2 • £213,071,000 day visitor spend2 • £516,239,000 total visitor related spend2 • 11,779 estimated actual employment2 • 12% proportion of all employment214/03/2018 • 13,868 bed spaces (hotels, guest accommodation and B&B)2 • 329 self-catering units2 • 7.7 hours of summer sunshine a day3 • 30,000 ice creams sold on a busy weekend3 • 750,000 ice creams sold every year3 • 3,000 deckchairs hired out on a busy weekend3 • Last summer, Bournemouth sold 18,599 souvenirs – an average of 775 items a week4 • In summer, our beaches are raked by tractor every morning and litter picked by hand twice a day • Former Bournemouth mayor, Merton Russell-Cotes is said to have received a knighthood for his discretion when King Edward VII visited with his famous mistress, Lily Langtry • Bournemouth was the first place in the UK to have purpose-built beach huts, built in 1909 and marked with a blue plaque near to the east of Bournemouth Pier • Fisherman’s Walk Cliff Lift in Southbourne made it into the 2015 Guinness World Records as the world’s shortest funicular railway • Combined, Bournemouth and Poole has a whopping 10 miles of sandy beaches, Europe’s largest natural harbour and 8 Blue Flag beaches

1NCTA, 2013 Facts and figures about Bournemouth’s visitors 2South West Research Company, 2015 The Economic Impact of Bournemouth’s Visitor Economy 3Bournemouth Seafront, 2016 Annual performance reporting 4Bournemouth Seafront, 2017 Annual performance reporting Last updated: 14/03/18

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Awards

Blue Flag beaches: Sandbanks, Canford Cliffs, Shore Road, Branksome Chine, , , Fisherman’s Walk and Southbourne

Seaside Awards: Bournemouth Beach and Beach

Green Flag locations: Lower, Central Upper Gardens, Alum Chime, Seafield Gardens, Winton Recreation Ground, Redhill Park & Common, Pelhams Park, Moore Ave, Boscombe Gardens, Stour Valley Nature Reserve, Fishermans Walk, Common, (+ Green Heritage Flag), Gardens, Playing Fields, Queens Park Golf Course, Tea Gardens, Strouden (North) Cemetery

2018

• TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards – UK’s Best Beach, 5th Best in Europe, 14th Best in the World

2017

• British Travel Awards 2017 – UK’s Best Seaside Town • Group Travel Awards 2017 – finalist • British Coach Tourism Awards 2017 – Coach Friendly Destination Finalist

2016

• Beach Hut Local Authority of the Year 2016 • 2016 Quality Coast Award • 2016 Group Travel Awards – runner-up • South West Tourism Awards – Tourism Information Service of the Year 2015/16 Silver • ‘Coach Friendly Town’ – Confederation of Passenger Transport UK (CPT)

2015

• Silver Travel Awards – Best Town in the UK Finalist 2015 • National Coach Tourism Awards – Coach Friendly Destination 2015 Finalist • Group Travel Awards – Best UK Destination for groups 2015 Runner Up • Visit England Awards for Excellence – Tourism Event of the Year (Bournemouth Air Festival) 2015 Gold

Last updated: 14/03/2018

INFORMATION FOR MEDIA

• Tourism Awards – Tourist Information Service of the Year 2015 Gold & Unsung Hero for Outstanding Customer Service 2015 Gold • Primary Times Dorset Reader Star Awards 2015 – Best Event this Year (Bournemouth Air Festival) 2015 • British Travel Awards – Best UK Coastal Resort Silver 2015

2014

• National PR Golden Hedgehog Awards – Public Sector Campaign of the Year 2014 • The Travel Marketing Awards – Digital Marketing Campaign of the Year 2014 • European Airshow Council Marketing Award 2014 • British Travel Awards – Best UK Coastal Resort Gold 2014 • Dorset Tourism Awards – Event of the Year (Bournemouth Air Festival) 2014 • Group Travel Awards – Best UK Destination for groups 2014 Runner Up • European Entente Florale – Gold 2014

2013

• British Destination Awards – Best Brochure Front Cover of the Year 2013 • British Travel Awards – Best UK Coastal Resort Gold 2013

2012

• Trip Advisor Travellers Choice Awards – Best Beach in the UK 2012

2011

• South West Tourism Awards Silver Award – Best Event (Bournemouth Air Festival) 2011 • European Airshow Council Marketing Award 2011 • Green Apple Environmental Awards for Bournemouth Air Festival 2011

ENDS

For more information, email [email protected] or call 01202 451750

Last updated: 14/03/2018