World Tourism Day: Celebrating Tourism in Bognor Regis

Every year on 27th September, World Tourism Day celebrates the places we visit, the experiences we discover and the people and businesses that make them possible.

Here in Bognor Regis, tourism has long been part of our story.

Generations of visitors have travelled to our corner of the West Sussex coast for seaside holidays, days on the beach and time spent together. While the traditional British seaside holiday has evolved over the years, Bognor Regis continues to welcome visitors looking for everything from family adventures to relaxing coastal escapes.

But tourism isn’t only about the people who visit.

It’s about the hotels welcoming guests, cafés serving morning coffees, restaurants filling tables, attractions creating family memories and independent businesses giving visitors another reason to explore.

So, for World Tourism Day, we’re celebrating the people, places and businesses that help make Bognor Regis a destination.

Why Has Bognor Regis Always Been a Seaside Destination?

Our relationship with tourism goes back generations.

Bognor began developing as a seaside resort in the late 18th century, when Sir Richard Hotham recognised the potential of this little corner of the Sussex coast.

Over the years, Bognor Regis grew into the seaside town we know today, with visitors drawn by the coastline, traditional seaside entertainment and, famously, our sunshine.

That relationship with tourism continues today.

Our beaches remain at the heart of the visitor experience, but there’s much more waiting beyond the shoreline.

Enjoy the Classic Bognor Regis Seaside

You can’t talk about tourism in Bognor Regis without starting at the sea.

Take a walk along the promenade, spend an afternoon on the beach, visit the pier or simply find a bench and enjoy the view across the English Channel.

When the tide retreats, large stretches of sand appear along the coastline, transforming the beach and providing plenty of room for paddling, sandcastles and seaside walks.

And when you’ve had enough of sandy toes, you’re only a short walk from the town centre and its shops, cafés and restaurants.

It’s a classic seaside experience, but one that can look completely different depending on when you visit.

Discover Hotham Park

A trip to Bognor Regis doesn’t have to revolve around the beach.

Hotham Park offers acres of green space just a short walk from the seafront and town centre.

Whether you’re stopping for a picnic, taking the children to play or simply enjoying a peaceful walk beneath the trees, the park provides another side to a day in Bognor Regis.

Throughout the year, it also becomes a setting for community events and activities, bringing residents and visitors together.

Experience Our Entertainment and Attractions

Family entertainment has been part of Bognor Regis’ identity for generations, and there are plenty of ways to fill a day away from the beach.

Our town is home to one of the UK’s best-known holiday resorts, Butlin’s Bognor Regis, which welcomes families throughout the year and has played a significant role in the town’s tourism story.

Elsewhere, visitors can enjoy traditional seaside arcades, play a round of crazy golf (at one of our many crazy golf courses!) or head on over to one of our parks.

Together, these attractions give visitors plenty of reasons to stay, explore and come back again.

Meet the Independents Behind the Visitor Experience

Some of the best memories from a trip aren’t necessarily the ones you planned.

It’s the coffee you picked up before a walk along the promenade. The ice cream you enjoyed after a day on the beach. The independent shop you discovered while wandering through town. Or the meal that became one of the highlights of your weekend.

Bognor Regis’s independent businesses play an important role in making visitors feel welcome.

From cafés, pubs and restaurants to shops, salons, entertainment venues and family-run businesses, they’re part of what gives our town its personality.

Choosing to spend locally while visiting means more than taking home something lovely or enjoying a good meal. It helps support the businesses and people who keep our town thriving throughout the year.

Stay a Little Longer

Bognor Regis isn’t only somewhere to visit for the day.

Alongside Butlin’s, the area offers hotels, guest houses, holiday accommodation and places to stay along the coast, giving visitors the opportunity to slow things down and experience more of the area.

Stay overnight and a day at the seaside can become a weekend of coastal walks, good food, independent shopping and exploring.

It also gives you the perfect base for discovering more of West Sussex.

Explore Beyond Bognor Regis

One of Bognor Regis’ strengths as a visitor destination is its location.

Head west and you’ll discover Aldwick and Pagham, including the wildlife and walking routes around Pagham Harbour.

Travel east along the coast and you’ll reach Felpham, Middleton-on-Sea and Elmer, each offering their own quieter stretches of coastline and village character.

Go a little further and destinations including Chichester, Arundel and Littlehampton are all within easy reach.

It means visitors can spend the morning discovering somewhere new before returning to Bognor Regis for dinner, an evening stroll along the promenade or another night by the coast.

Tourism Is About People

It’s easy to think about tourism in terms of beaches, attractions and places to stay, but behind every visitor experience are people.

The person pouring your coffee.

The team preparing your hotel room.

The chef cooking your dinner.

The shopkeeper helping you find exactly what you’re looking for.

The people maintaining our attractions, running events and welcoming visitors to the town.

Tourism supports businesses, creates jobs and brings people into our town who spend money with the businesses that form part of our community.

And importantly, many of the places visitors enjoy are the same places local people love and support throughout the year.

Be a Tourist in Your Own Town

World Tourism Day isn’t just for people travelling hundreds or thousands of miles.

If you live locally, why not use it as an excuse to experience Bognor Regis through the eyes of a visitor?

Take the walk you normally drive past. Visit an attraction you haven’t been to for years. Try somewhere new for lunch. Explore an independent shop you’ve never stepped inside. Or simply head to the seafront and appreciate something that’s very easy to take for granted when it’s on your doorstep.

You might be surprised by how much there is still to discover.

Celebrate World Tourism Day in Bognor Regis

Tourism has been woven into Bognor Regis’s identity for generations, and today it continues to bring people, businesses and communities together.

From our beaches and green spaces to our independent businesses, accommodation, attractions, entertainment and neighbouring villages, there’s far more to discover than can fit into a single day.

So, this World Tourism Day, we’re celebrating everyone who plays a part in making Bognor Regis a place people want to visit.

Whether you’re here for the day, staying for a week or lucky enough to call Bognor Regis home, get out there and discover something new.

And if you’re visiting us, welcome to Bognor Regis. We hope you enjoy your stay.