Welcome to Bournemouth a staff handbook for our town 1 visit coastaltourismacademy.co.uk Contents 2 Welcome to Bournemouth 3 Bournemouth as a tourist town 5 Things to do & see 7 Bournemouth events 9 Bournemouth by night 10 Beyond Bournemouth 11 Making visitors happy 13 Access all areas 14 Getting around Get in touch: 01202 962 072 [email protected] coastaltourismacademy.co.uk A warm welcome to Bournemouth We very much hope you will The tourism industry is worth more than £501 enjoy living and working here million to the town and supports nearly 10,000 – tourism is a major industry in jobs. And it doesn’t just have an impact on hotels the town and we’re delighted and tourist attractions, visitors spend money in you’ve chosen to become part just about every sector - shops, pubs, restaurants, of it. Bournemouth’s beautiful spas, transport and more. Without a healthy beaches and stunning gardens tourism industry many of the town’s facilities and are a major draw, but visitors packed events programme simply wouldn’t exist. also return for our hospitality – a warm welcome from people Customer service is very much at the heart of the like you. National Coastal Tourism Academy and we hope you will find this booklet helpful in discovering It’s the people that visitors what Bournemouth has to offer visitors and how interact with that make the to deliver top service to everyone. difference to their experience, transforming an average holiday into a great one - a personal greeting or friendly smile can be pivotal in someone’s day. Enjoy working here! 2 Bournemouth as a tourist town Bournemouth’s town centre is ideal for shopping, with a pedestrianised shopping area, and a wide choice of one-off outlets, high street names and large department stores. The centre’s impressive Victorian architecture is complemented by award-winning gardens that stretch down to the beach and right up to the border with Poole. Bournemouth Square is a focal point, west is the Triangle shopping area, while Westover Road is lined with elegant shops, boutique art galleries and large cinemas. The Tourist Information Centre is situated close to Bournemouth Pier, with additional information offices along the seafront. For night owls, there’s no shortage of cafés and restaurants in the town centre, nightclubs and bars stay open well into the early hours of the morning. 3 bournemouth.co.uk/things-to-do/shopping Boscombe is approximately two miles Useful link east of Bournemouth’s town centre. Its seafront is a magnet for watersport’s fans, and home to the Coastal Activity Park which flanks Boscombe Pier. The area offers a number of popular sea- facing restaurants and bars. Open air markets take place on Thursdays and Saturdays in the centre of Boscombe, beside the Sovereign Centre which also Southbourne is just over three miles operates a Shopmobility scheme for from Bournemouth, the area is popular visitors with disability. with families who flock to its wide sandy beaches and seafront eateries. Pokesdown lies between Boscombe and Southbourne Grove features a number of Southbourne and is known for its antique tempting cafés and shops, many sell shops. Its retro atmosphere makes it a locally made Dorset produce. The clifftop draw for lovers of vintage clothing and is ideal for walkers, offering panoramic artefacts. It is served by a good bus views of the Isle of Wight and across to network and train service from the Purbeck Hills. Further east is Pokesdown railway station. Hengistbury Head with popular visitor centre. Charminster offers a cosmopolitan mix of restaurants, cafés and bars with a huge choice of cuisines, from Lebanese to Thai. Westbourne is a mile and a half to the west of the town centre, a chic suburb packed with upscale fashion boutiques, top-rated restaurants and trendy coffee houses. Picturesque pine tree woods flank the path down to Alum Chine Bournemouth! beach which boasts restaurants, ice- (From Hengistbury Head) cream outlets and children’s playground with splash pool. 4 Things to do and see (all year round) Bournemouth has four Watersports operators at the Coastal Activity Park at Blue flags awarded for the Boscombe offer a variety of water sports including cleanliness of its beaches, kite-surfing, stand-up paddle-boarding, body-boarding, Green flags for the quality surfing and kayaking - with instructors on-hand and of its parks and a Purple equipment available for hire. flag for its night time economy. It has seven But there’s also plenty of choice away from the beach, miles of safe, sandy whatever the weather. The captivating Russell-Cotes Art beaches, the town’s Gallery and Museum beside the Royal Bath Hotel is greatest natural asset, and crammed with fascinating works of art, the Oceanarium two piers, Bournemouth is also unmissable, great for all ages, housing sharks, and Boscombe. Alum otters, turtles, stingrays and much more. The Pavilion Chine, Durley Chine, Theatre and Bournemouth International Centre are the Boscombe, Fisherman’s venues for year-round, top entertainment, from the Walk and Southbourne latest boy bands to Brahms and Beethoven, played by beaches surround the the renowned Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. central beaches of East Rock Reef is one of the town’s newest attractions, Cliff and West Cliff. featuring a thrilling zip-wire from the end of Bournemouth Pier to the beach. A great all-weather attraction, it also provides climbing walls, a Pier Cave and an aerial obstacle course. 5 bournemouth.co.uk/things-to-do Useful link Shopping is always a popular draw, both Bournemouth features a packed in the town centre and three miles programme of events year round, see the beyond at Castlepoint, which offers an events page (7). At Christmas dozens of extensive choice of stores and free car market stalls brighten the Square, there’s parking. live music, food stalls and a German bar. Christmas visitors also enjoy the traditional seasonal pantomime staged Bournemouth can be enjoyed at The Pavilion Theatre. at any time of year, and many activities are completely free! Top entertainment takes place at The Bournemouth International Centre (BIC), Pavilion Theatre and Lighthouse in Poole, The stunning Victorian Gardens - Lower, with dance performances staged at Central and Upper - lie between the Pavilion Dance in the Lower Gardens. town’s shopping area and the seafront The Littledown Centre offers indoor and include tennis courts, mini-golf, sports facilities including a large pool children’s play areas and outdoor art with flume rides and Altitude High exhibitions. Guided walks and tree trail Ropes. Splashdown Waterpark, at Tower guides are available from the Tourist Park, Poole, is also a popular year-round Information Centre. attraction. 6 Bournemouth Events A packed events programme brings thousands of visitors into the town each year The Bournemouth Wheels Festival is a free festival for all the family, run across three days in May. Featuring historic classic cars, world-class BMX stunts, Monster Truck parades and supercars, there are four grandstands along the beach to watch demonstrations, plus live evening entertainment, shopping, food and fireworks. The Bournemouth Marathon Festival takes place in October. It offers events for all ages and abilities, from children running 1.5k to professional runners undertaking the full marathon! The route runs along the sea and around the town, a stunning setting for anyone who enjoys running. 7 bournemouth.co.uk/whats-onUseful link Classic Cars on the Prom takes place The town also holds a Christmas every Sunday afternoon from mid-April Festival from mid-November to early to September, head to the hill just January. behind the BIC on the clifftop. The town’s biggest annual event is the Bournemouth Air Festival, held each year in August. Thousands pack the town for a dazzling aeronautical display that fills the skies above the beach. The event’s highlight is the Red Arrows, but the entertainment lasts long into the night with thrilling dusk air displays, live music and family entertainment. The event is free and transforms the town for four days. The annual Bournemouth Arts by the Sea Festival is staged across the town during October. This multi arts festival attracts international artists as well as showcasing some of the best local talent. 8 Bournemouth Beyond Bournemouth by night Bournemouth is known as one of the most exciting places to enjoy a night out and is a proud recipient of the prestigious Purple Flag National Award for its Night Time Economy. The BIC and Pavilion offer plenty of With more than 250 hotels, guesthouses variety, from classical concerts and B&Bs, Bournemouth is the ideal base to to children’s shows and West stay. And there’s enormous choice for great End musicals, there are also days out right on the doorstep. several cinemas showing the latest films. Salisbury and Stonehenge Less than an hour away from Bournemouth, The Triangle area features bars Salisbury has some of England’s finest and gay venues, central historic houses, a great shopping centre and Bournemouth boasts a range of the majestic Salisbury Cathedral, boasting all-night entertainment in its Britain’s tallest spire. Just outside is lively bars and high-energy Stonehenge – the world famous ancient nightclubs. Licensed taxis are stone circle and World Heritage Site and a easily found anytime, while the must-see for visitors. Night Bus service is a great and affordable way to get home. New Forest National Park Lying just outside Bournemouth, the New As well as classic British Forest has remained largely unaltered restaurants from fish and chips throughout its thousand year history. Acres to classic pub favourites, of ancient landscapes, heathland and international cuisine is also well woodland allow ponies and deer to roam represented.