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 boasts an expansive, seven-mile stretch of golden sand nestled beneath a coastline comprising of majestic cliffs and dotted with the area’s unique chines – narrow ravines that are peculiar to Dorset and the Isle of Wight.
With eight Blue Flag beaches and 10 Seaside Awards, an award-winning, multi-million-pound project to landscape the waterfront, and Leave Only Footprints – a successful campaign aimed at encouraging residents, visitors and workers to be more environmentally conscious – Bournemouth’s vision for a world-class seafront is now a reality.
Chris Saunders, Head of Operations in Tourism Services, said: “This award is testament to the hard work, dedication and resilience of our Seafront Team. As well as the slick running of our Tourist Information Centre, the beaches are raked and cleaned daily to the highest standard and rangers work in and out of season to ensure the safety and comfort of visitors. We team up with LV= to run the KidZone in the summer RNLI life guards are stationed at regular intervals along the beach.
“The successful launch of the Leave Only Footprints campaign in 2018 has also contributed to this fantastic accolade. We want nothing more than for people to come and enjoy our stunning beaches and we just ask that visitors help us to maintain these award-winning standards by clearing up after themselves, putting rubbish and recycling in the bins provided.”
The archetypal British seaside town, Bournemouth’s beach huts remain highly sought after, land trains popular and cliff lifts evocative. Yet there are also plenty who flock to the area for adrenaline- fuelled adventures, including seafront running, cycling and even the world’s only pier-to-shore zip line. There are a wealth of watersports on offer too – paddle-boarding, surfing, kayaking, jet-skiing and kite-surfing are all extremely popular along Bournemouth’s coast.
Unlike other coastal destinations in the UK, Bournemouth is just as appealing out of season. The town is known for events and festivals which show off its extraordinary beaches in the context of a thriving, celebratory atmosphere.
Jon Weaver, Head of Resort Marketing and Events for Bournemouth & Poole Tourism, said: “As well as the Bay Run, Bournemouth Air Festival and Arts by the Sea, we’ve added to our portfolio a record- breaking winter attraction. Our brand new Christmas Tree Wonderland attracted 3.3million visitors
in its first year, proving that Bournemouth is the ultimate year-round, family friendly destination. This commitment to providing free family entertainment is designed to complement our existing prowess in terms of our location and natural surroundings. It adds another dimension beyond simply offering a great holiday by the sea.”
Councillor Pat Oakley, Portfolio Holder for Tourism, Leisure and Arts in Bournemouth, said: “It’s very exciting to top the TripAdvisor awards lists for the second year in a row! Tourism makes a £1bn contribution to the local economy here in Bournemouth. We value our beautiful, attractive yet fragile environment and are resolute in our commitment to both developing and protecting what makes Bournemouth such a great place to visit, live, work and study. The popularity of Bournemouth’s beaches translates into visitor spend that is invested back into the town. We’re extremely proud of this achievement.”
