One hundred and fifty representatives of businesses from across Oxfordshire’s visitor economy came together at Blenheim Palace to celebrate the achievement of Experience Oxfordshire, the county’s destination management organisation (DMO), gaining VisitEngland Local Visitor Economy Partner (LVEP) status, one of 15 recently announced by the national tourist board.
Dominic Hare, CEO of Blenheim, welcomed guests to Clementine’s on the Lawn, the splendid temporary glasshouse in place during current renovations to the Orangery. Stressing the importance of the sector and touching on the contribution Blenheim makes to the local economy, Dominic Hare offered congratulations to Experience Oxfordshire on their work in supporting the visitor economy across the county. Hayley Beer-Gamage, CEO of Experience Oxfordshire, outlined the importance of the accreditation to the organisation and thanked all Partners and Stakeholders present for their ongoing support. Fiona Pollard, Interim Chair of VisitEngland, explained the new destination management structures, the rationale behind the new LVEP programme, potential opportunities for the future and praised Experience Oxfordshire for their commitment to the sector and their achievement in being one of the first destinations to receive LVEP status.
In March 2023 Experience Oxfordshire was announced as one of 15 English destinations to gain LVEP status. Developed and administered by VisitEngland, the national portfolio of strategic and high-performing LVEPs support collaborative working locally and nationally on shared priorities and targets to grow the local visitor economy. The creation of LVEPs was part of the UK Government’s response to the recommendations of ‘The de Bois Review: an independent review of DMOs in England,’ to reshape destination management across England, reducing fragmentation and bringing coherence to its DMO landscape.
Hayley Beer-Gamage, Experience Oxfordshire CEO, commented: “Experience Oxfordshire was cited in the de Bois Review as a case study for its work supporting businesses across the county during the pandemic. We are delighted with this further recognition as one of 15 LVEPs announced by VisitEngland. Receiving this accolade, however, is also a testament to the spirit of cooperation which thrives within the county. Experience Oxfordshire is a Partnership organisation, we work with and on behalf of businesses, stakeholders and sector related organisations to ensure tourism within the county thrives and works for everyone. We’re working with excellent businesses and brands and the LVEP status places Oxfordshire in the heart of the national visitor economy network.”
Fiona Pollard, Interim Chair of VisitEngland said: “LVEPs are at the heart of transforming the visitor economy landscape in England and we are delighted to welcome Experience Oxfordshire into the nationally recognised LVEP scheme.
“We also look forward to continuing our close collaboration as the LVEP is established. VisitEngland will provide expert support alongside guidance and resources in areas from product distribution, accessibility and sustainability to business support, funding bids and marketing.
“Ensuring we have the right national and local infrastructure in place to grow our visitor economy, in an inclusive, accessible and sustainable way, will ensure Oxfordshire continues to be a compelling destination for both domestic and international visitors.”
Dominic Hare, CEO of Blenheim and Experience Oxfordshire Board Director and Trustee said: “We’re delighted that so many representatives of the visitor economy have come to Blenheim today to celebrate Experience Oxfordshire’s achievements. Here at Blenheim, we are delivering to an energetic vision of the role of a landed estate, not as an historic anachronism but as a powerhouse of the local economy and the heartbeat of local life. We are a prime example of the positive impact of tourism and the visitor economy, and we are proud Ambassadors for Experience Oxfordshire and their work.”
Alongside offering high quality services to businesses and championing the visitor economy sector, the award-winning DMO has run a series of high-performing partnership marketing campaigns including Escape the everyday in Oxford for which the organisation is currently shortlisted for marketing excellence in the 2023 Oxfordshire Business Awards. You can find out more about the work the DMO undertakes along with joining information at experienceoxfordshire.flywheelstaging.com/partner.
**ENDS**
NOTES TO THE EDITOR
Images: available via the following link. Additional images are available on request.
Image 1: (L to R) Fiona Pollard, Interim Chair of VisitEngland; Hayley Beer-Gamage, Experience Oxfordshire CEO; and Claire Ford, VisitEngland Regional Development Lead – London & the South East
Image 2: Fiona Pollard, Interim Chair of VisitEngland
Image 3: (L to R) Fiona Pollard, Interim Chair of VisitEngland; Hayley Beer-Gamage, Experience Oxfordshire CEO; and Dominic Hare, CEO of Blenheim and Experience Oxfordshire Board Director and Trustee
Image 4: (L to R) Andy Morison, Head of Customer Experience at Oxford Bus Company; Councillor Mark Lygo, Oxfordshire County Council; Rachel Geliamassi, Managing Director of Stagecoach West; Councillor Duncan Enright, Oxfordshire County Council and Experience Oxfordshire Board Director and Trustee; Luke Marion, Managing Director of Oxford Bus Company; and Rob Hough, Oxford Operations Manager at Stagecoach West
Image 5: Experience Oxfordshire Partners and invited guests
Image 6: Clementine’s on the Lawn
Experience Oxfordshire is the official Destination Management Organisation (DMO) for Oxfordshire. We are the trading arm of the parent charity, Experience Oxfordshire Charitable Trust, and are a not-for-profit partnership organisation that is committed to the promotion, management, and development of Oxfordshire as a great destination to live, work, visit and do business whilst improving growth and productivity across the visitor economy. The DMO provides essential business advice and support to visitor economy businesses across Oxfordshire.
For more information on Experience Oxfordshire go to experienceoxfordshire.flywheelstaging.com/partner or contact partnership@experienceoxfordshire.org
Contact: Lesley Wright / press@experienceoxfordshire.org / 01865 686433
You can keep up to date with Experience Oxfordshire’s activity by following:
Facebook – Experience Oxfordshire
Instagram – @experienceoxfordshire
Twitter – @ExperienceOx and @ExperienceOxBiz
LinkedIn – Experience Oxfordshire
Blenheim Palace
Home to the 12th Duke of Marlborough and his family and the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, Blenheim Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site boasting a long and diverse history. A masterpiece of Baroque architecture, offering over 2000 acres of ‘Capability’ Brown landscaped parkland and 90 acres of award-winning Formal Gardens in addition to family focused activities, a varied programme of year-round public events and an excellent meetings and celebratory events offer.
New for 2023 – Clementine’s on the Lawn. Due to essential conservation and restoration works, The Orangery restaurant at Blenheim Palace will be closed between January – November 2023. A stunning glass marquee has been constructed on the back of South Lawn overlooking the Palace, Clementine’s on the Lawn, and will replace the Orangery from April to September 2023 and is available for events.
Oxfordshire’s Visitor Economy
The current status, as per the 2021 economic impact survey results, shows a significant recovery in volume of trips and related expenditure compared to 2020 but remains below the levels seen in 2019.
• Value: £1.6bn = 56% increase in value on 2020 (36% down on 2019)
• Trips: 23.3m = 56% increase in trips on 2020
• Day trips expenditure is down 26% on pre-pandemic levels and overnight expenditure down 51%
• Employment: 28.8k = 13% increase in jobs supported (33% down on 2019)