A record number people made their way to the south during Bournemouth’s festive season.
Nearly 13 million people travelled to Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) over the festive period, with all three towns reporting an increase in visitors.
This was an 11.4% increase compared to 2023, cementing BCP’s reputation as a ‘must-visit destination’ at Christmas.
Cllr Richard Herrett, portfolio holder for destination, leisure, and commercial operations at BCP Council, said: “Our town centres remain hugely important to our residents as well as our visitor economy, these latest footfall figures are a reminder of the importance major events.”
Bournemouth town centre had 5.7 million visit the Christmas Tree Wonderland and Poole saw around 4.8 million people enjoy its town centre over the entire period.
Christchurch welcomed 2.5 million visitors over seven weeks, meaning the BCP area saw a total of 12.96 million people visited.
Paul Kinvig, chief operating officer at Bournemouth BID, said: “Bournemouth town centre was buzzing over the Christmas period, and we were delighted to see the fantastic energy and atmosphere reflected in a very significant increase in footfall.”
He added: “It is a great addition to the Christmas offering in Bournemouth and has helped us significantly with planning activity for Christmas 2025.”
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