VISITOR numbers in Bournemouth skyrocketed by millions over the past year amid scorching temperatures and removal of Covid restrictions.

According to research from footfall monitoring provider Place Informatics, Bournemouth was the third most visited coastal spot in the UK this year with an increase of 3.5m from the 12 months prior.

From June 2020 to May 2021, Bournemouth welcomed 8.2m visitors – which included the day a major incident was declared in the town after half a million people descended on the beach as many strict Covid rules were still in force.

This figure rose to 11.7m visitors from June 2021 to May this year – which does not include data from the record-breaking heatwave seen in late July where hundreds of thousands visited the coastal town.

Bournemouth saw the third highest rise behind Blackpool and Brighton.

Clive Hall, CEO of Place Informatics, said: “It is great to see these popular seaside towns attracting so many more visitors over the last 12 months, but these huge increases can impact local businesses, services and infrastructure if not managed correctly.

“Our data helps these seaside towns understand their visitors and helps them plan to minimise any negative impact of this increased popularity and ensure these additional visitors are a positive for the towns and their businesses.”