Bognor Regis remains among UK’s ‘worst’ seaside destinations

Research from Which? makes bad reading for the West Sussex town

Bognor Regis remains among the worst-rated seaside holiday destinations in the UK, according to research from consumer group Which?

The West Sussex town placed fourth-from-bottom of the 126 locations surveyed with a total score of just 47%, down from 54% last year.

Those questioned as part of the survey gave Bognor Regis just one star of a possible five for its seafront and shopping opportunities.

It got two stars for its beaches, value for money, food and drink, tourist attractions, scenery and peace and quiet, and three stars for its parking.

Last year the resort finished 113th of 118, while it finished level bottom of the poll in 2022.

In better news for the South, Swanage made it into the top 10 in the list, scoring 78% with judges awarding it five stars for its scenery.

That was also the case for Lyme Regis, which just missed out on the top 10 in 13th with 77%.

Lymington was named as Hampshire’s best seaside destination with a score of 73%, while Ventnor on the Isle of Wight managed 69% and Worthing was named best in West Sussex at 62%.

The Northumberland seaside village of Bamburgh topped the poll for the fourth consecutive year, scoring 86% and receiving the maximum 5 stars for its beaches, seafront, peace and quiet, tourist attractions and scenery.

It was followed by Portmeirion in Gwynedd, St Andrews, Tynemouth, Fife and Derry/Londonderry in Northern Ireland.

Bangor in Gwynedd took last place with a destination score of 42 per cent, followed by Mablethorpe in Lincolnshire with a score of 46 per cent.

Though they received lower scores than their competitors, travellers nonetheless found plenty to recommend in these seaside resorts.

Multiple visitors remarked on Bangor’s “wonderful pier” and noted that while the town has suffered from shop closures in the town centre, it has some “really good restaurants” and “excellent amenities”.

They also recommended it as a base for exploring the local area, including Snowdonia National Park.

Rory Boland, editor of magazine Which? Travel, said:

“From wild, unspoilt stretches of remote coastline to charming traditional bucket and spade resorts, the UK’s seaside towns offer something for everyone.

“While you may have your own favourite coastal spot, this year’s survey shows that it’s worth looking beyond the most famous resorts this summer, to the lesser-visited hidden gems in every corner of the UK.”

Here’s how resorts across Dorset, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and West Sussex fared:

78% – Swanage

77% – Lyme Regis

73% – Lymington

72% – Weymouth

69% – Ventnor

67% – Shanklin, Southsea

66% – West Bay

64% – Bournemouth

62% – Poole, Worthing

59% – Barton-on-Sea

55% – Littlehampton

47% – Bognor Regis

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