2023 is expected to be a good year for tourism in the UK. National tourist board VisitBritain’s research shows UK residents’ continuing interest in holidaying at home and a strong forecast for international visitors. During the annual English Tourism Week destination management organisation, Experience Oxfordshire, met with business operators, politicians and sector leaders from across the visitor economy to share insights and identify action required to ensure the county benefits from UK tourism’s recovery.
Hayley Beer-Gamage, Chief Executive of Experience Oxfordshire said: “The annual English Tourism Week is a great opportunity to reflect on the fantastic range of products and experiences we have on offer in Oxfordshire and to highlight the professionalism and dedication of the owners and operators. The county’s visitor economy, however, is still recovering from the impact of the pandemic with regard to its value and the number of jobs supported. We have some way to go before we return to the £2.5bn generated in 2019 and Experience Oxfordshire recognises that it’s essential we continue to advocate for the sector. It’s been heartening to have had the active support of our members of parliament at on-site visits to meet with business operators and on a virtual round-table discussion with businesses and local authority colleagues from across the county.”
Robert Courts MP visited Cogges Manor Farm and said: “English Tourism Week reminds us of the wonderful range of excellent visitor attractions on our doorsteps and award-winning Cogges Manor Farm is a perfect example. Tourism creates £2.5bn per annum for Oxfordshire’s economy and many visitors come because of our great attractions. The Cogges Manor Farm team are ensuring this historic site and the engaging experiences offered here, will have a secure future, welcoming generations to come. I’m delighted to be here with Experience Oxfordshire whose work ensures the county is recognised as a leading destination for tourism.”
Guy Reed, General Manager at Cogges Manor Farm said: “As a registered charity it’s important for our survival that we’re not only promoted as a place to visit but are also recognised for the work we’re involved in. We’re therefore grateful to Experience Oxfordshire for the work they do in marketing the county and in drawing attention to the broader contribution attractions such as ours make to the community.”
David Johnston MP met with staff at Mollie’s Motel & Diner and said: “Tourism is a people business. Prior to the pandemic it supported 42,000 jobs in Oxfordshire – jobs requiring a range of skills and expertise and offering real career opportunities. It’s been great to visit Mollie’s Motel & Diner and hear how the services they offer attract visitors into the area and in turn support job creation. Thanks also to Experience Oxfordshire for organising this as part of their English Tourism Week programme, promoting Oxfordshire as a great destination to live, work, visit and do business in.”
Commenting on his visit Lindsey Williams, Head of Sales said: “We’re grateful to Experience Oxfordshire for facilitating a meeting with our MP, David Johnston, during English Tourism Week. We were delighted to have the opportunity to introduce Mollie’s and explain the role we play in attracting visitors to the area. Many thanks to Experience Oxfordshire for providing the opportunity.”
Following her attendance at the Visitor Economy Cross-Party Virtual Round Table alongside David Johnston MP and Robert Courts MP, Anneliese Dodds MP commented: “As visitor numbers return to the county, it’s essential that we address the issues relating to our workforce, including perceptions of the sector. The message, that the range of jobs within the visitor economy can create opportunities and rewards at every stage of a career, needs to be broadcast widely. Here in Oxfordshire we offer fantastic training and educational facilities and we have a resilient visitor economy. Through collaboration solutions will be found and I congratulate Experience Oxfordshire for their work in bringing businesses together to start these discussions.”
After a site visit to Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, a Belmond Hotel, John Howell MP said: “Our county offers many examples of outstanding hospitality and amongst them Le Manoir holds iconic status, not least because of the ground-breaking developments to the business since its inception. It’s therefore been both informative and a pleasure to meet with their team to discuss issues currently affecting Oxfordshire’s visitor economy. Post pandemic many operators have recognised the need to change their business models and diversified their offer in line with market trends and it’s great to be here with Experience Oxfordshire who play a vital role in keeping Oxfordshire’s businesses informed of this changing landscape.”
Sarah Powell, HR Director responded: “It was a pleasure to welcome John Howell MP to Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, a Belmond Hotel to show what we do here. Many thanks to Experience Oxfordshire for facilitating the visit and their work in showcasing the county.”
At the Crown & Thistle, Abingdon, Layla Moran MP said: “With our rivers, rolling countryside, villages, attractions and cultural experiences, our county is well-served for attracting visitors – and a thriving visitor economy is good for us all. Experience Oxfordshire carry out important work to spread the benefits of tourism across the county. Our market towns can play an increasingly important role in encouraging exploration beyond the major tourist centres so I’m very pleased to meet the team here at the Crown & Thistle, Abingdon to hear how their business is currently performing and of their future plans.”
Andy Carp, General Manager at the Crown & Thistle, Abingdon, said: “Hospitality businesses are facing many operational challenges, not least with regards to workforce availability. It was good to meet with Layla Moran today to discuss the impact on the sector and we’re grateful to Experience Oxfordshire for their work in advocating for Oxfordshire businesses during English Tourism Week.”
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IMAGES:
Images available via the following link.
Image 1: Robert Courts MP visits Cogges Manor Farm and meets Chair of the Trustees, Paul Evans; General Manager, Guy Reed; Marketing and Communications Manager, Autumn Neagle; Farm Manager, Kirsty Grey and Experience Oxfordshire CEO, Hayley-Beer Gamage
Image 2: David Johnston MP visits Mollie’s Motel & Diner and meets Head of Sales, Lindsey Williams and Experience Oxfordshire Marketing Manager, Lesley Wright
Image 3: Anneliese Dodds MP
Image 4: John Howell MP visits Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, a Belmond Hotel and meets Sarah Powell, HR Director and Experience Oxfordshire Marketing Manager, Lesley Wright
Image 5: Layla Moran MP visits the Crown & Thistle, Abingdon and meets Andy Carp, General Manager and Experience Oxfordshire Marketing Manager, Lesley Wright
NOTES TO THE EDITOR:
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 the value of Oxfordshire’s visitor economy go to https://experienceoxfordshire.flywheelstaging.com/partner/partner-benefits/research-and-insights/
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
Contact: Lesley Wright, press@experienceoxfordshire.org T: 01865 686433
VisitBritain/VisitEngland
Coordinated by national tourism body, VisitEngland, the annual English Tourism Week highlights the sector’s economic importance and builds awareness of the innovation, quality and range of visitor experiences on offer in England. It also celebrates the skills of the workforce and the diverse range of jobs and careers available in the sector.
For more information about VisitEngland and English Tourism Week see: https://www.visitbritain.org/english-tourism-week or contact Charlotte Sanders at VisitEngland: charlotte.sanders@visitengland.org M: 07500 555 651
VisitEngland’s research into UK propensity for holidaying at home can be found here: https://www.visitbritain.org/domestic-sentiment-tracker
VisitBritain research and insights can be found here: https://www.visitbritain.org/2023-tourism-forecast