Published on Thursday 21 April 2022
Fantastic weather brought thousands of visitors to the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole’s beaches, town centres, open spaces and attractions this Easter.
The award-winning beaches were humming with life as families and groups of friends enjoyed themselves with plenty of space in the almost constant Spring sunshine.
The iconic deckchair was once again available to hire after pandemic restrictions and well over 1,000 were utilized alongside those other seaside staples – parasols, sun loungers and windbreaks. Bournemouth’s pier saw over 5,000 visitors take in the panoramic views while both the hugely popular Hengistbury Head and Bournemouth Land Trains were packed with seafront commuters! The slightly more sedate but essential cliff lifts also saw plenty of custom throughout the weekend. Seafront attractions such as Smugglers Cove Adventure Golf at Bournemouth’s Pier Approach.
Meanwhile, the resort’s various catering outlets from Southbourne to Sandbanks and beyond served around 60,000 customers with approximately 22,000 ice-creams, 7,000 lollies, 10,000 hot beverages and 11,000 cold drinks.
Heritage and cultural destinations such as museums, castles, country parks and galleries offered alternative experiences beyond the beach, all enhanced by the brilliant Easter weather. The towns’ widely dispersed and unique street art provided numerous photographic opportunities while a huge variety of water sports were enjoyed in the sea and on the area’s remarkable quays and harbours. Across the area’s parks a whole host of Easter activities took place including scavenger hunts, hedgehog highways and bee bomb making while hikers, runners, cyclists, and ramblers all enjoyed the region’s breath-taking areas of natural beauty.
Councillor Mohan Iyengar, Portfolio Holder for Tourism and Active Health said: - "We are delighted to have welcomed so many visitors to our beautiful region this Easter and are really looking forward to a great summer ahead! A massive thank you to all the BCP Council teams and partner organisations in emergency and other services. They worked tirelessly across the seafront, parks, heritage sites and open spaces through the long weekend."