Bournemouth has been ranked as the worst medium-sized town or city for a short break in the UK for 2024 according to a survey from Which? members.

The consumer choice site surveyed 3,967 of its members to rate UK cities and towns they’d visited for leisure purposes and stayed in for at least one night in the past two years (since April 2022).

They received reports of 7,187 experiences and created lists for large, medium and small cities/towns based on a number of factors.

Ratings were given out of five stars on accommodation, food & drink, cultural sights, shopping, ease of getting around, lack of crowds, parking and value for money.

Overall, Bournemouth came bottom of the medium-sized cities and towns list, marginally behind Ipswich.

The full breakdown for the whole of the UK can be found on the Which? website here.

How did Which? members rank Bournemouth?

Bournemouth had an overall customer score of 58% and did not receive five stars in any of the categories mentioned above.

Its best scoring factor was its lack of crowds, which saw it receive a 3/5 rating, but most other areas were ranked at a 2/5.

Meanwhile, its worst factor was parking, with it having a 1/5 rating.

Breaking down the worst-ranked medium and small UK cities/towns for a short break, Which? said: "Two seaside towns - Bournemouth and Torquay sat at the bottom of our small and medium-sized cities tables, along with Fort William in Scotland.

"They were both described as ‘dirty’ and ‘rundown’. Visitors complained that Torquay was a ‘typical British seaside resort. . .shabby and unkempt in places, especially the High Street and harbour area.’

Dorset Echo: Bournemouth was not rated favourably in a number of categories in the Which? surveyBournemouth was not rated favourably in a number of categories in the Which? survey (Image: Stephen Bath)

"Both got just two stars for food and drink, shopping, ease of getting around and value for money."

Despite this ranking, Bournemouth was included among the top 100 places in Europe for residents last month in the list from Resonance Consultancy.

Factors taken into account for that included Tripadvisor reviews, education and work opportunities and dozens of other metrics.

Bournemouth ranked in 77th place on the list, beating out the likes of Belfast, Bordeaux, Turin, Portsmouth, Newcastle, Montpellier and Bologna.

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Discussing Bournemouth, Resonance Consultancy said: "This coastal resort town is a pocket-sized shot of California two hours by train from London.

"A rare microclimate means more sunshine, warmer weather and (for the surfers and swimmers who play on its eponymous beach, often lauded as one of Europe’s best) warmer seas. The area’s golden beaches, it should be noted, are Blue Flag-certified.

"With its seafront promenade, Ferris wheel and piers, the city has embraced its unique beach-town vibe for decades, readily drawing families with one-of-a-kind, Instagrammable attractions—like the only pier-to-shore zipline on the planet."