Bournemouth

Bournemouth is a large town and seaside resort situated on the south coast of England. It has a population of 164,000 and is the largest settlement in the county of Dorset. The town is a regional centre of education and business and forms the main part of the South East Dorset conurbation with the adjoining town of Poole.

Until the 1800's Bournemouth consisted of mere heathland. It was from 1802 that land was purchased and in 1810 the first houses constructed by Lewis Tregonwell of Cranbourne who had a large house built for himself and smaller dwellings for his household staff. A decade later Tregonwell bought additional land in the area on which more villas were built and leased out as holiday homes. It was around this time it was realised that the sea air was healthy for convalescence, and Bournemouth became renowned for its healing qualities and palm trees.

The Bournemouth International Centre which stands high on the cliff-tops overlooking the sea and pier is one of the leading venues for conferences, exhibitions and events in Southern England. The centre frequently hosts the annual conferences of the main national political parties as well as theatrical productions and concerts. Owned and managed by Bournemouth Borough Council, the centre operates alongside its sister venue, the Pavilion Theatre and Ballroom to provide both the organiser and visitor with some of the best facilities on England's south coast.

The Bournemouth Oceanarium is home to the world’s first Interactive Dive Cage experience. The 67 square foot cage comprises of twelve 50-inch plasma screens to create a 270-degree continuous under-ocean view. Using independent touch screens visitors can select which ocean they would like to explore and simultaneously learning about the habitat and anatomies of the many weird and wonderful sea creatures. The metal flooring, bars and transparent acrylic panels emphasise the illusion of being submerged underwater making it a realistic experience.

The main shopping streets in the centre of town are mainly pedestrianised and are lined with a wide range of boutiques, stores, jewellers and accessory shops. They are situated just behind the seafront on either side of the River Bourne. Along with the major stores are modern shopping malls, Victorian arcades and a large selection of bars, clubs and cafés. Westbourne, west of the town centre has an impressive selection of designer clothes and interior design shops, whereas to the east in the district of Boscombe is another major shopping area which includes many antiques shops and a street market.

Bournemouth Airport is a key national and international gateway to Southern England, connecting over 900,000 passengers to over 60 destinations every year. With approximately 125 people directly employed on-site and regular scheduled and charter services operated by some of Europe’s leading airlines, growth and success are shared by the whole community. On current projections around 3 million passengers are expected to be travelling through Bournemouth Airport annually by 2014/15. The airport’s growth is a massive opportunity and crucial to the prosperity of the whole region.