2020 – Experience Oxfordshire

Dec 18 2020

New Chief Executive announced for Oxford City Council

New Chief Executive announced for Oxford City Council Caroline Green has been named as the new Chief Executive at Oxford City Council to succeed Gordon Mitchell who is due to step down in the new year following a contract extension. The appointment of Caroline, who is currently Assistant Chief Executive, follows a rigorous recruitment…

Dec 17 2020

Extended Season for Christmas at Blenheim Palace

Blenheim Palace and Sony Music, the co-producers of Christmas at Blenheim Palace, are delighted to announce that due to popular demand, the Illuminated Trail will be extended to include new dates from 6 -10 January 2021. The Illuminated Trail takes visitors on a spectacular outdoor adventure full of festive cheer. It is the perfect way…

Dec 10 2020

Christmas Lights Bus returns by popular demand

Oxford Bus Company today announced its ‘Christmas Lights Bus’ will return this month to further spread some festive cheer. It follows the success of the Oxford Lights Festival last month, which saw a decorated City Sightseeing Oxford open-top bus lead a tour. Thanks to an overwhelming positive public response to the event Oxford Bus Company…

Dec 02 2020

Oxford City Council, Experience Oxfordshire, Independent Oxford and The Oxford Times refresh campaign to support retailers this Christmas

Oxford City Council, Experience Oxfordshire, Independent Oxford and The Oxford Times have refreshed their campaign to support retailers this Christmas. The four organisations have been working together to promote businesses during the lockdown, and encourage people to support local traders by shopping online. But now, with Oxford moving out of lockdown, the campaign will encourage…

Dec 01 2020

Oxford University’s museums and Bodleian Library to reopen to the public

1 December, Oxford – Oxford University’s museums are reopening to the public this week as Oxfordshire moves into Tier 2 lockdown restrictions. The Ashmolean Museum, Pitt Rivers Museum, History of Science Museum, and the Museum of Natural History, which have been closed since 2 November, are now able to reopen to the public from 2 December. The Ashmolean Museum…

Nov 27 2020

Oxford Bus Company increases Airline services to support students returning home for Christmas

The Oxford Bus Company will reinstate its Airline coach service to Gatwick Airport from Sunday and operate more services to Heathrow Airport. It is increasing the number of journeys between Oxford and Heathrow and Gatwick airports to match services with new levels of demand and continue to support social distancing measures. Services between Oxford and…

Nov 23 2020

New coaches take to the road, a Christmas treat for Oxford Tube passengers

Passengers on the Oxford Tube are set to enjoy the latest in passenger comfort and convenience as the wheels are due to start turning on Stagecoach’s £13 million investment into new coaches on the Oxford Tube. The first two coaches will start carrying customers from Saturday 28th November with the entire fleet being replaced by…

Nov 16 2020

Fairytale Farm has been named as England’s fastest-growing farm attraction

Fairytale Farm has been named as England’s fastest-growing farm attraction, according to the Annual Survey of Visits to Visitor Attractions, just published by Visit England (1). The results from this survey are reported annually, providing an overview of the visitor attraction sector. The newly-published figures, which are for the full 2019 season, show that Fairytale…

Nov 13 2020

Santa Set to “Steam Into Christmas” at Railway Centre

Staff and volunteers at Didcot Railway Centre are working hard to prepare for a very special visitor when the Covid-secure site is able to re-open in December. Father Christmas himself will be at the popular tourist attraction on weekends from 5 – 20 December plus Tuesday 22 and Wednesday 23. Visitors will be able to…

Nov 11 2020

Virtual Oxbridge Meet Up – Focuses On Positive Future for Conferences and Events

The first-ever virtual meeting of event professionals from Cambridge and the University of Oxford has just taken place – with representatives from 60 venues, including Colleges, Museums, Libraries and hotels checking in to share ideas on the future hosting of conferences and events in their cities. The Zoom summit, jointly organised by Meet Cambridge and…

Nov 05 2020

Oxfordshire business leaders urge Chancellor to review decision to end Tax Free Shopping

Experience Oxfordshire Press Release Oxfordshire business leaders urge Chancellor to review decision to end Tax Free Shopping Experience Oxfordshire, the Destination Management Organisation (DMO), for the county are urging the Government to review the decision to end tax free shopping for visitors to the UK as it will deliver a fatal blow to the local…

Nov 02 2020

Bicester Hotel and Spa Welcomes New Chef

Bicester Hotel & Spa are delighted to welcome their new award-winning, Head Chef, Michael Carr. He will be running the kitchen in Bicester Hotel & Spa while introducing us to some of his delicious dishes. Michael has won the Heinz Gold Award, demonstrating his passion for excellence. Michael’s dream for Grays Restaurant is to fill…

Nov 02 2020

More than 20,000 visitors enjoy open-top bus tour of Oxford

More than 20,000 visitors to Oxford have enjoyed a tour of the city via City Sightseeing Oxford’s open-top bus service since it re-opened in July. The attraction has played a key role in helping draw visitors into Oxford as part of a wider campaign to help the city’s tourism, hospitality and retail sectors through COVID-19….

Oct 28 2020

Pre Covid-19 Tourism Figures show Challenge Ahead for Oxfordshire’s Visitor Economy

Experience Oxfordshire Press Release For immediate release: 28/10/2020 Pre Covid-19 Tourism Figures show Challenge Ahead for Oxfordshire’s Visitor Economy Experience Oxfordshire, the Destination Management Organisation (DMO) for the county, have released new data on the economic impact of tourism showing a huge spike in growth in 2019. This year’s Economic Impact Report for Tourism in…

Oct 20 2020

Experience Oxfordshire Announce Additional Investment for England Originals Project

The England’s Historic Cities consortium has secured new investment from Visit England. England’s Historic Cities, which includes Experience Oxfordshire, has secured further investment from the Discover England Fund for their innovative England Originals project. The project was created in 2018 to encourage more US visitors to explore regional England and has already benefited from over…

Oct 16 2020

ENJOY A CHRISTMAS FEAST WITH A SRI-LANKAN TWIST AT STREET FOOD RESTAURANT & BAR, THE COCONUT TREE

Pioneering Sri Lankan street food restaurant group The Coconut Tree will be giving the traditional ‘Christmas menu’ a south Asian twist this winter. The independent boutique operators are front-runners in bringing fresh Sri Lankan dishes to the UK, coupled with a laid-back, convivial atmosphere. Whether it’s Sri-Lankan-style Split Sprouts with Cashews, or spicy Devilled Pigs…

Oct 13 2020

Oxford Official Walking Tours Launch New Ghost Tour

Oxford Official Walking Tours are delighted to announce the launch of a new Ghost Tour – just in time for Halloween! As the nights draw in it is the perfect time to explore the city and its history in a very different way. The tours will be led by local author and experienced Green Badge…

Sep 28 2020

Stagecoach Improve Banbury Bus Service to the Horton Hospital

From Monday 12th October, changes to bus services in Banbury will see improved links to new developments and the main employment sites at the Wildmere Industrial Estate, Horton Hospital and Southam Road sites. Supported through s106 funding agreed with Oxfordshire County Council, the changes will also result in better cross town links and changes to…

Sep 28 2020

Make Magical Memories This Christmas at Bletchley Park’s Vintage 1940s Grotto

Christmas may be a little different this year, but the man in red will be taking up a very special residence at Bletchley Park’s Vintage Grotto to bring festive cheer for families of all ages. Father Christmas and his helpful elves will be taking centre stage in the Bletchley Park Mansion’s Ballroom, a beautiful, spacious…

Sep 28 2020

Hook Norton Brewery opens historic Oxfordshire coaching inn with rooms, The Crown Inn at Benson

The Crown Inn at Benson, a characterful 17th century, Grade II-listed timber-framed coaching inn, is due to re-open its doors on Friday 2nd October 2020, following a major refurbishment. Located in the pretty south Oxfordshire village of Benson, The Crown will welcome all to enjoy it’s bar, restaurant, six en-suite bedrooms, rear courtyard and beer…

Sep 28 2020

Oxford Bus Company has the Golden Touch at keeping the fleet in top condition

The Oxford Bus Company has been awarded a National Express ‘Golden Spanner’ award after excelling in an annual engineering audit – for the second year in a row. External inspectors praised Oxford Bus Company engineers for achieving “exceptional standards” – including “good quality inspections” and minimal break downs. Oxford Bus Company runs the 737 Oxford…