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Visitor boost to Boscombe seafront following regeneration

9:00am Thursday 4th February 2010


VISITORS to Boscombe seafront soared by almost a third last summer following £50 million regeneration works.

New Bournemouth Tourism statistics show that declining visitor numbers have been dramatically reversed with a 32 per cent increase last summer compared to the previous year.

Tourism chiefs boast that Boscombe Spa Village has “revitalised and transformed Boscombe seafront,” creating 48 new jobs as well as employment for workers involved in the Honeycombe Beach flats development and construction of Europe’s first artificial surf reef.

Bournemouth Surf School is also enjoying the spin-off, teaching more than 5,000 people last year with a 30 per cent increase in turnover during the past two years.

The much-needed seafront investment forms part of a £101 million tourism cash injection for the resort including Bournemouth’s first “eco hotel” at Grove Road, which is due to open later this year.

After years of hotel closures, as owners sold off prime sites to developers, several hotels are now undergoing major refurbishment, including the Mayfair on Bath Road and the Trouville on Priory Road.

Last year’s air festival boosted the local economy to the tune of £30 million and set a new £1.3 million visitor record for Bournemouth.

Hopes are now pinned on the third air festival, from August 19 until August 22, being even more of a success.

The creation of a new £3.29 million dance centre will enable Bournemouth Pavilion to host world-class events.

Tourism director Mark Smith said: “Bournemouth is once again showing that destinations that continue to invest, even when there is a downturn in the national economy, can reap the benefits.

“Over £100 million is being invested in accommodation, transport, entertainment and restaurant improvements for 2010 to bring new tourism income and jobs.”


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Your Say YourDorset

wonderway, boscombe says...
10:16am Thu 4 Feb 10

bl**dy h*ll this council are unable to get figures the same one weekto next firstly it cost 12.8 million including 1.8 million borrowed from capital pot now its 50 million just for sea front at Boscombe. Perhaps Mark Smith has sun stroke sitting on top of the surf reef when the tides out, yes last week end it was 3foot out of the water with surfers standing on it looking for water........council spin strikes again in this press release and they are adding honeycombe chine as regeneration money ..............never mind 30million coming from air show to local economy no dont think so the money goes to multi-nationals and outsiders....but we can all dream

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thewave, Christchurch says...
12:26pm Thu 4 Feb 10

My question would be how the hell did they get there with all the road works going on in boscombe in the last year.

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rainbowkisses, Bournemouth says...
1:52pm Thu 4 Feb 10

If Bournemouth is doing so well out of all this tax payers money being spent on the sea front, how come our services are being cut, Council tax going up, and millions having to be saved? Which ever way you cut it, we are paying more and getting less. It really is about time the Council started to worry about their employers (us) and not the tourists.

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sollie, says...
4:11pm Thu 4 Feb 10

Have these figures been independently audited?
It would help if we knew the source of these statistics/spin.
l

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SonofKinson, Kinson says...
4:13pm Thu 4 Feb 10

Can Mark Smith really sit down and produce a true set of figures. We are sick and tired that everytime the Boscombe story comes up, the figures change. Secondly, it is not Boscombe that needs updating, it is the main town, the name that fronts our Borough Council, Bournemouth. All it does at Boscombe is make it a nice environment to buy drugs. Wait until its first true summer, and see who gets down there.

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tt52, bournemouth says...
4:21pm Thu 4 Feb 10

This is just like you get in those pretty little books that drop through your letter box at this time of year with nicely coloured graphs showing how much money councils have stolen from residents in the guise of council tax and where and when it has been spent, in short its all cobblers, these coloured graphs a probably done by some one throwing paint tins up in the air, any body can come up with numbers to make it look good, i believe they dont know what money they get in and certainly dont have a clue what they have spent, these graphs are designed for only one purpose, to justify hikeing your council tax bills in April

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Bob49, Bournemouth says...
12:29am Fri 5 Feb 10

" Bournemouth Surf School is also enjoying the spin-off, teaching more than 5,000 "

eh ?


Given that surfing is only available for a few months a year how many does this work at a week ? It would mean 200 a week if there was surfing available for six months. I have never seen more than 20 in the water. This week the wretched thing was exposed at low tide for quite a few days. The worthless tosh that spews out of the council resembles more and more the out of touch ravings of the last few days of Hitler in his bunker.

ps still haven't heard from the female councillor who claimed Boscombe beach was packed one day during the recent freeze

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time nor Tide, bournemouth says...
8:22pm Fri 5 Feb 10

http://www.brevardco

unty.us/environmenta

l_management/Artific

ialSurfingReef.cfm

This a a very detailed multidisciplinary study ordered by Brevard County that is wise to read. It has implications for this reef and council.

Yes ASrr were part of the study team. It has a shock conclusion that is a real suprise.
You can also google search the words brevard county reef to find the same article.

Surfing reef will be the heading found.

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time nor Tide, bournemouth says...
8:33pm Fri 5 Feb 10

Oh, I should add that Brevard being in Florida is blessed with the climate for surfing all year round. The area produces many champions including the worlds most famous surfer ever. If a surfing reef was going to be a sucess surely this is the place for it to happen?

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BIRD’S EYE VIEW: Picture by Gary Ellson, Bournemouth Helicopters. BRIGHT IDEA: At Honeycombe Beach, Boscombe

BIRD’S EYE VIEW: Picture by Gary Ellson, Bournemouth Helicopters.

BRIGHT IDEA: At Honeycombe Beach, Boscombe