News

The countdown to the festive season has officially begun. Christmas in Bournemouth has transformed the resort into a dazzling winter wonderland from 13 November 2025 to 4 January 2026, offering visitors a completely reimagined experience!

A must-visit destination in the heart of Poole's Old Town, the newly reimagined Poole Museum is set to welcome visitors from Wednesday, 5th November, following a spectacular £10 million redevelopment.

Bournemouth and Poole's tourism and hospitality businesses have been crowned the undisputed champions of the county, taking home a remarkable haul of top honours at the Dorset Tourism Awards 2025.

Destination Marketing Organisation launches to drive growth and resilience in the region’s £1.3 billion visitor economy of Bournemouth, Poole & Christchurch.

In a landmark move that signals a new era of growth and confidence, global financial leader JPMorgan Chase has unveiled an investment of £300-£350 million in Bournemouth, cementing the town's status as a premier UK destination to live, work, and visit.

If you thought Bournemouth had an extra spring in its step this summer, you were right! The numbers are in, and an incredible ten million trips were made to our town centre between June and August. That's not just a statistic; it's the sound of a town buzzing with energy, confidence, and a whole lot of new things for you to see, do, and taste.

Bournemouth East MP Tom Hayes has praised the town’s hospitality sector for launching the Check In – Chill Out positivity campaign. The initiative, created by the BH Area Hospitality Association (BAHA), aims to counter negative national media coverage with a renewed focus on the many strengths of the local area.

A simple wristband scheme has proven invaluable this summer, with an average reunion time of just seven minutes for families on Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole's award-winning coastline.

Runners across the region can start their training as organisers have today confirmed that the Vitality Bournemouth Bay Run will return on Sunday, 22 March 2026.

The excitement for the 2025 DMB Tourism Awards has reached fever pitch following the official announcement of this year’s finalists for Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole.

A new short video has been released by the BH Area Hospitality Association as part of their Check In – Chill Out campaign , showcasing the very best of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.

Arts by the Sea festival has today reveals full programme for its 15th anniversary edition, promising a spectacular and inclusive celebration of art, culture, and community. Taking place from Friday 26th to Sunday 28th September 2025.

An exciting new street food and drink venue is being planned for Bournemouth after Blue Collar confirmed it has signed an agreement for its second permanent site.

Hoteliers across East Dorset are uniting to challenge recent negative headlines that have cast a shadow over the region, to shine a spotlight on the many strengths that make the area such a special place to visit.

Bournemouth celebrates a significant milestone in the town's ongoing revitalisation with the official opening of 'The Botanist, Bournemouth' on Friday, 23rd May, 2025.

Whether you’re here for the music, the artisan market, the skateboarding, or just the atmosphere, We Are Boscombe: Summer Street Sessions brought to you Bournemouth Coastal BID promises a day that celebrates the energy, creativity, and community spirit that makes Boscombe unique.

Get ready for a dazzling summer as free firework displays make their triumphant return to Bournemouth's famous coastline for 2025. Every Friday at 10pm, from 25th July to 29th August 2025.

BCP Council is teaming up with LV= to help keep children and vulnerable adults safe across the coastline for another summer.

A Bournemouth-based artist, who took up sculpture only six months ago, has been chosen to create a monumental centrepiece for this year's Arts by the Sea festival. Bob Brewer will construct an eight-foot-tall hand woven from willow, a powerful symbol of welcome and unity set to rise from the town's Gardens this September.

The Marsham Court Hotel, Bournemouth is proud to announce that it was recently awarded a Silver award at the annual Visit England Awards. The hotel, well known for its exceptional service and facilities, took home the award for Accessible and Inclusive Tourism.

Registrations for Vitality Bay Run are now open – sign up today and join the Spring challenge which promises fun, fitness and community spirit.

Bournemouth’s reputation as a must-visit destination at Christmas is set to continue for years to come with new operators taking the reins of the town-centre’s festive offerings.

LV= KidZone, which helped keep children and vulnerable people safe across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole’s (BCP) coastline throughout 2024, has proved a huge success this summer.

Leading UK life and pensions mutual insurer LV=, makes a welcome return this year as the 2024 sponsor of the popular Kidzone summer beach safety scheme run by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council.

Beaches across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole have been awarded Blue Flag and Seaside Awards from Keep Britain Tidy for 2025.

September is shaping up to be art month across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole with the arrival of Airship Orchestra, an ambitious custom light and sound installation, taking place in The Triangle.

An ambitious programme of outdoor activities and events to celebrate community, talent and performance into late spring and summer, is being planned as part of BCP Council’s Bounce Back plans.

Fantastic weather brought thousands of visitors to the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole’s beaches, town centres, open spaces and attractions this Easter.

Sign up and stick to those New Years Resolutions this year!

Queen Elizabeth II has given her blessing to the Platinum Jubilee Bournemouth Air Festival.

Leave Only Footprints is an initiative encouraging visitors to love and enjoy Bournemouth and Poole’s award-winning beaches and to help maintain their world-class standards by putting rubbish in the correct bins provided along the seafront.

A new waste warrior fish sculpture designed to highlight the harm caused by marine plastic has arrived in Poole.

With the October half-term school break on the horizon, seize the opportunity to try something new with our budget friendly guide to Halloween on the coast with the most.

Bournemouth has scooped the Best Event of the Year Award at the Association of Town and City Management Awards 2019. The announcement was made on 26 June at a gala award ceremony, held in London and attended by hundreds of town and city management professionals, celebrating best practice across the UK and Ireland.

Love was in the air at the weekend as Smugglers Cove Adventure Golf played host to its first wedding couple on Saturday, 10 July 2021.

Love is in the air this February half term with Valentine’s crafts, love trails, a wall of hearts and more to discover across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.

A recruitment campaign to inspire more local and overseas students into the region’s hospitality sector is set to launch, as English Tourism Week celebrates the contribution the industry brings to the local economy.

As English Tourism Week 2023 launches we are celebrating the wonderful and unique towns of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole located on The Coast with the Most.

The world-famous Red Arrows and supersonic Eurofighter Typhoon will be making a roaring return to the UK’s biggest free land, air and sea event, the Bournemouth Air Festival, this year.

Allianz, one of the biggest insurers in the UK and a large employer in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP), is helping to keep children and vulnerable people safe by partnering with BCP Council to operate KidZone.

Timings for the world-famous Red Arrows have been announced for this year’s Bournemouth Air Festival.

BCP Council and CityFibre are proud and delighted to announce that Poole Quay’s summertime fireworks will be back later this year with the new title of ‘CityFibre Poole Quay Summer Fireworks’.

The 6-metre-long fish sculpture which landed in Poole in April to highlight the problem of ocean plastic pollution now has a name. Of 240 suggestions submitted, ‘Wanda the Waste Warrior Fish’ was the overwhelming favourite.

Get out, get active and make a difference to coastal wildlife and beaches as the Great Dorset Beach Clean returns for a weekend of litter picks on 22-23 May 2021.

Environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy announced its iconic Blue Flags and Seaside Awards to the UK’s very best beaches, and Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole have been confirmed with 23 awards in total.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole will be the focus of a ground-breaking pilot scheme this summer which will see drone-based technology used to tackle the issue of litter.

Announced during an online ceremony on Thursday, Bournemouth’s Smugglers Cove Adventure Golf, the majestic Upton Country Park in Poole and Yessica Falcon, the indefatigable Manager of the Bournemouth Tourist Information Centre all had well deserved success and recognition at the postponed 2020 Dorset Tourism Awards.

A brand-new app has been unveiled by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Tourism allowing visitors to check which of its beaches are the least congested and keep safe.

Offering nearly 15 miles of glorious beaches and some of the UK’s most stunning coastline the destination of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole in Dorset is a must visit for 2020.

Bournemouth has been nominated for Best UK Seaside Town in the prestigious 2019 British Travel Awards (BTAs). The winners will be determined by the consumer, who has until 30 September to cast their vote, with the successful companies announced at the BTA Gala Awards Dinner, being held in London on 27 November 2019.

It’s that time of year when environmental charity, Keep Britain Tidy presents its iconic Blue Flags and Seaside Awards to the UK’s very best beaches, and Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole has been confirmed as the area with the most accolades – clocking up 23 awards in total.

Following a record-smashing year, the South Coast’s most eventful resort has charged headlong into 2019 with a plan to shatter outdated perceptions of Bournemouth, asserting itself as a fresh, growing resort while proudly owning its rich heritage.

The Selfie Wall Trail stretches from Sandbanks to Southbourne – taking in Branksome Chine, Alum Chine, Bournemouth Pier, Pier Approach, Boscombe Beach and Fisherman’s Walk. So, wherever you are on the seafront, the perfect photo opportunity may arise.

Charity reveals country’s best beaches with announcement of Blue Flag and Seaside Awards for 2018 – with 18 presented to beaches in Bournemouth and Poole

In the afterglow of the busiest bank holiday yet, statistics released by Bournemouth & Poole Tourism Management Board have revealed the staggering numbers behind the industry’s value to the local economy – with total visitor numbers for the year estimated at 11.2m* and a contribution to the local economy of almost £1bn.

Voted Britain’s best seaside resort, Bournemouth boasts miles of golden sandy beaches and a breathtaking coastline that’s the perfect backdrop for watersports and outdoor pursuits. It’s also home to hundreds of hotels and restaurants and, with a jam-packed calendar of festivals and events, has a growing reputation as the UK’s most eventful destination.

Ho ho ho! All aboard the Christmas land train! During the festive period, the famous Bournemouth land train is running along the seafront with a sprinkle of Christmas magic.

Bournemouth is the perfect destination to visit, stay and get into the festive spirit. This Christmas, be amazed and discover magical festive fun for all the family from 17 November 2017 – 4 January 2018. Ice skate under the stars in Bournemouth’s illuminated historic gardens, sample seasonal fare at the Alpine Market and Lodge and shop late into the night for the perfect gift.

Ambassadeur Art Gallery teamed up with Bournemouth Tourism to create Bournemouth’s biggest ever public street art project on Pier Approach in the spidery-shape of one of our favourite superheroes

Locals & holidaymakers invited to join Andi Peters on Good Morning Britain live from Bournemouth Beach

This year the Candlelight Event is going back to its original roots with a candlelit procession through Bournemouth’s historical Lower Gardens. We are looking for volunteers to embark on a journey to the seafront just as the Empress Elizabeth did over a hundred years ago.

Bournemouth has been nominated for ‘Best UK Seaside Town’ in the prestigious 2017 British Travel Awards (BTAs). The winners will be determined by the consumer, who has until 30 September to cast their vote, with the successful companies announced at the BTA Gala Awards Dinner, being held in London on 29 November 2017.

Residents and visitors to Bournemouth can look forward to a packed summer programme as a huge variety of festivals and events are announced in the coming months, reinforcing the resorts reputation as an ‘eventful’ destination.

The successful child beach safety initiative, LV= KidZone, is back on Bournemouth’s beaches for summer 2017 and in time for the school holidays – with zones extended to Poole for the first time.

Bournemouth is renowned as the South Coast leader when it comes to Blue Flag beaches, quality accommodation, outdoor pursuits, award-winning festivals and family fun. Not only does Bournemouth have a Premier League football team but it also boasts seven miles of first-class soft, sandy beaches set against a breath-taking backdrop of majestic cliffs.

Christmas is officially kicking off in Bournemouth this weekend but the town’s tourism industry was already celebrating last night at the 2017 Dorset Tourism Awards (DTA), held at the Lighthouse in Poole.

With the Summer Holidays in full flight now, Bournemouth Tourism releases the second of a series of new promotional films which form an integral part of the Bournemouth ‘B Here’ campaign for Summer 2017.

Bournemouth has entered yet another year as the perfect group destination – with a host of attractions springing up in the South’s premier coastal resort and a warm welcome awaiting groups.

Bournemouth has seen significant investment in recent years with the opening of new hotels such as the Hilton and Hampton by Hilton in the centre of the resort. The trend is set to continue with more developments underway as Bournemouth’s world class vision for the future becomes a reality.

After 16 incredibly exciting and challenging years as Director of Tourism, I cannot think of any better way to leave than knowing that the great British public this week voted Bournemouth to be the number one seaside resort in Britain.

Bournemouth Beach in Dorset has today been named fifth best-rated beach in Europe and 20th in the world.

A major campaign to drive staycation visitors across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and position the region as a comparator to world-class destinations such as the Mediterranean, Bondi, Portugal and Miami, has launched this week.

Bournemouth’s night-time economy has received a Purple Flag award, marking the 12th year in a row the town has been recognised for the accolade.

TAKE IT IN – AND STAY HOME TO SAVE LIVES Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Tourism and BCP Council reinforces national message.

Bournemouth has attained the top spot in TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice awards for best beach for the second consecutive year – at the same time as being recognised as the 6th best in Europe and 20th in the world!

Bournemouth has not only been named the best UK beach in the annual TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards but is 5th in Europe and 14th in the world ranking above beaches in locations world famous for their miles of golden sands and crystal clear waters, including the Seychelles, Australia, Turkey and Sicily.

UK visitors have voted Bournemouth best resort in Britain for a record third time in five years.

Bournemouth named UK’s most Family Friendly Destination 2020

Hengistbury Head Visitor Centre and the historic Lower Gardens in Bournemouth recently announced they have both been recognised as a 2020…

Go Beyond The Beach This Summer! During the glorious long days of summer, when the sunshine gets warmer, the skies bluer and the restaurants…

Beach life is back in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole this summer as the award-winning resorts prepare for a bumper season.

Award-winning beaches across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole have once more scooped more Blue Flags than any other UK destination in this…

The popular BBC show, Winterwatch, will broadcast from RSPB Arne in Dorset for four nights and be presented by Chris Packman, Michaela, and Iolo…

Beaches across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole have retained their Blue Flag status this summer after the tourism and hospitality sector…