Published on Monday 20 January 2025
Millions of people enjoyed all that Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole had to offer this Christmas - with all three town centres reporting a year-on-year increase in visitors.
Nearly 13million people made trips to the towns during the seven week festive period – an 11.4% increase when compared to last year.
The official footfall figures cement the three towns’ reputation as a must-visit destination at Christmas for both residents and tourists.
In Bournemouth, 5.68 million people visited the town centre and Christmas Tree Wonderland - an average of 125,000 visitors every day.
Poole saw 4.81million people enjoy a trip to the town centre and Christchurch welcomed 2.47 million visitors – meaning 12.96 million people visited the three town centres in just seven weeks.
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 - such as Christmas - play in making all of our town centres key destinations.
“Residents and tourists alike were able to come out and enjoy these free attractions whilst connecting with friends and families.
“I am really pleased to see the increase in visitors across our town centres at Christmas - amid particularly challenging national circumstances - with a million extra people visiting BCP compared to the same period last year and providing a boost to the local economy.
“I am delighted that more than 12 million people saw the best of what our three towns have to offer during the festive period - helping to support local businesses and our communities to thrive – and I hope to see many of them return throughout the year.”
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.
“Among the factors contributing to the success of the season was Festive Streets; brand new for this year, this series of fun family events every Thursday in locations around Bournemouth Town Centre was enjoyed by a multitude of shoppers and visitors in the run up to Christmas.
“It is a great addition to the Christmas offering in Bournemouth and has helped us significantly with planning activity for Christmas 2025.”