BOURNEMOUTH, Poole and Christchurch have been reliant on the tourism business since at least as far back as the mid-19th century.

With their miles of clean coastline, their countryside beauty spots and a long list of tourist attractions, the three towns extend a welcome to many of the same visitors year after year.

This April, a new council will run the towns and their tourism departments – providing a new opportunity to promote the three different but complementary destinations.

Westover Ice rink through the years

PICTURES: Remembering Tucktonia, the original Little Britain

Snapshots of the past: Tower Park in Poole

Looking back at Boscombe through the years

Bournemouth's aviary in pictures

Sandbanks as it appeared in 25 old postcards

Boscombe Pier over the years

Bournemouth is the young upstart of the three, with a town centre whose history only really goes back to 1810. It quickly became a destination for retirees, as well as those seeking the health-restoring benefits of the sea air.

As the railways spread across Britain in the 19th century, many Bournemouth residents resisted – fearing their town would be spoiled by the influx of holiday-makers from all over the country.

Bournemouth station finally opened in 1870 – and the strength of opposition is reflected in the fact that it is sited a fair distance away from the town centre. The station was renamed Bournemouth Central when Bournemouth West station opened in 1874.

The railways did transform the town, fuelling the arrival of many more hotels, as well as theatres, cinemas and cafes. Victorians flocked to enjoy the pier and promenade and to venture into the water.

Over the years, a host of tourist attractions added to the offering. The Westover Ice Rink offered the chance to watch shows as well as skate, while the Pier Approach Baths offered spectacular Aqua Shows. Less successful were the Imax cinema which was closed and demolished, or the £3million reef which spectacularly failed to turn neighbouring Boscombe into a Mecca for surfers.

Poole has a history hundreds of years longer than Bournemouth. It became a busy port soon after the Norman conquest and by the 19th century, the vast majority of its workers laboured at the harbour. But the town’s beaches and countryside became a draw for tourists in the mid-19th century, with the railway coming to Hamworthy in 1847 and Poole centre in 1872.

While its Quay remained a busy industrial site, it increasingly drew tourists, who visited Poole Pottery, took pleasure cruises and enjoyed the pubs. Generations enjoyed Poole’s big Victorian park, which had a cafe, miniature railway and, from 1963-1994, a zoo.

Bournemouth’s other ancient neighbour, Christchurch, is equally attractive to tourists. Not only does it have its historic Priory, its picturesque Quay, and wide array of hostelries, but over the years it has been home to a Pontins holiday camp (from 1962-1995) and Tucktonia (1976-86), which received national publicity as the “greatest little Britain in the world”.