Jennifer Tingay, owner of Triangle Taproom, formerly Poole Hill Brewery in Poole Hill, said remaining businesses need the support of residents.
It follows the closure of WHSmith, Post Office and Superdrug over the weekend.
Jennifer said a customer of hers recently compared Bournemouth to Philadelphia in the USA – a place with three times the population of BCP.
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“They might have the Liberty Bell, but their ‘hip’ waterfront is no match to our seven miles of golden sands,” she said.
“However, average tourist spend in Phili when converted to pounds is £136.44 and in BCP is £37.31 which in all honesty is parking and a bag of chips.”
She said claims of violent crime being a problem in Bournemouth are “regularly bandied about as a problem” but that there is “no evidence” to back it up.
“The BH postcode area has less violent crime per head of population than Bristol, Bath, Brighton and Southampton it is in the safest 21 per cent of England,” she added.
Addressing drug concerns, Jennifer said there is “much more visible drug dealing” on the streets of Bournemouth.
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“There is one main reason for this, it is that when there are less people on the streets you are more likely to notice the rough sleepers, drug abusers and dealers,” she said.
“The remaining businesses need one thing more than anything else and that is more customers.
“More tourism in Bournemouth is not going to change this, what the town needs is its own residents to go into town, like they do Christchurch, Southbourne, Westbourne, Winton and Poole.
“Make a change to your routine, grab a bus into Bournemouth, take a stroll up the gardens which are beautiful all year round, grab a coffee preferably at one of the many independent cafes, nip into the fabulous library at the Triangle, investigate a shop or two and perhaps meet friends for a meal and a few drinks.
“It’s your town, get to know it better.”
Dr Jeff Bray, associate professor of consumer behaviour at Bournemouth University, recently told the Echo that Bournemouth town centre’s future will be “vibrant”.
He said the shift towards housing in the town centre has already started – and that leisure offering is going to be the main focus for the area.