English Tourism Week 2026 MP Visits

In support of English Tourism Week 2026, Rt Hon Anneliese Dodds MP for Oxford East visited voco Oxford Spires hotel and enjoyed meeting some of their team members.

“It was a pleasure to spend time at the voco Oxford Spires hotel meeting with the operational team and hearing why they chose careers in hospitality. It was especially heartening to hear how the hotel invests in its people, providing training and development opportunities and onsite accommodation, all of which goes a long way to building a successful team. The voco hotel is one of so many excellent tourism and hospitality businesses in Oxford East and I’m delighted that English Tourism Week affords me the chance to celebrate this brilliant local business.”

Wendy Procter, Cluster Manager, voco Oxford Spires said: “Our team were delighted to welcome our MP, Anneliese Dodds to voco Oxford Spires and we were grateful to Experience Oxfordshire for facilitating the meeting. Our team enjoyed meeting Anneliese to talk with her about our work and the satisfaction they derive from working in hospitality as well as being able to show her our excellent conference and leisure facilities.”

“It was wonderful to spend time at Modern Art Oxford, not only to see the impact of recent financial investment but to experience the work being created within this wonderful space by the local community, not least by The Shadowlight Artists collective of talented and ambitious learning-disabled and autistic Oxfordshire artists, whose current show is on view.”

Paul Hobson, Director at Modern Art Oxford said: “Modern Art Oxford is a local gallery with an international profile. We create world-class exhibitions, offer inspiring creative learning programmes to tens of thousands of local residents, push forward digital innovation, and help artists with professional development. We were very proud to host our MP Layla Moran and discuss Modern Art Oxford’s position in the heart of the Oxford community and its role in the visitor economy. Many thanks to Experience Oxfordshire for organising.”

After his visit Sean Woodcock said: “I was very pleased to visit Heythrop Park to meet members of the team and discuss the positive impact their business has on our local community. As well as bringing large numbers of overnight visitors into the area who contribute directly to our local economy, the hotel is a significant local employer with a staff of some 300 people. I was particularly impressed with Heythrop’s proactive approach to supporting the local workforce by operating a transport service from Banbury, Chipping Norton and Witney, as well as providing staff accommodation onsite.”

Jane Page, General Manager at Heythrop Park commented: “Thanks to Experience Oxfordshire for facilitating our meeting with our local MP. It was a great opportunity to update Sean on current activity here at Heythrop Park and share our longer-term plans for extending our offer to leisure, business and event visitors.”

After his visit Calum Miller said “It is English Tourism Week, and I am proud to represent a constituency in Oxfordshire, the best county in England. Places like Woodstock show exactly why. Our towns, villages and local businesses are a huge part of what makes this area special, supporting jobs and strengthening the local economy. It is also encouraging to see continued investment in places like The Feathers, helping to maintain the offer for visitors and residents alike in one of our most historic market towns.”

Stephen Browning, Hotel Director of The Feathers Hotel said: “We were delighted to show our MP, Calum Miller, the extensive refurbishments we’ve made to The Feathers and to discuss with him how business is going, particularly with regard to international tourism. Many thanks to the team at Experience Oxfordshire for coordinating our meeting as part of English Tourism Week activity.”

“Wood Brothers Distilling Company is a great story – a diversification project from a local family who have farmed near Witney for generations. Using 5% of their winter wheat to produce gin and vodka, they’ve developed a successful new business and in doing so created a new local attraction. It was a pleasure to meet with Charlie and Teddy to hear about their current operation and the future plans.”

After their meeting Charlie Wood responded: “As relative newcomers to the visitor economy, we are delighted at the response we’ve received for the products and experiences we’re creating here at Wood Brothers Distilling Company, and look forward to developing our business further. We were pleased to welcome onsite our MP, Charlie Maynard, to discuss our experiences of setting up a new business and we’re grateful to the Experience Oxfordshire team for organising the meeting.”

“It was a pleasure to meet with Aleksander and Charlotte at Milton Hill House to see the results of the major refurbishment the hotel has undertaken. It was interesting to hear their plans to attract more local residents to make use of the gardens, bar and restaurant.”

Aleksander Tyszkiewicz, Operations Manager said: “Whilst Milton Hill House has long focused on the important business events and conference market, we are also keen to welcome locals to the newly refurbished House to enjoy our bar, restaurant and spa experiences. It was a pleasure to welcome our MP Olly Glover and to discuss the current operating environment including the transport issues which impact our business. We’re grateful to the Experience Oxfordshire team for arranging Olly’s visit.”

“Waterperry Gardens is one of Oxfordshire’s exquisite hidden gems, tucked away in the countryside and offering a surprisingly large number of reasons to visit. It was a pleasure to meet with Managing Director, Simon Buchanan to better understand the range of challenges he manages in his small attraction, not least of which is funding the maintenance of an historic site.”

Simon Buchanan, Managing Director at Waterperry Gardens said: “We were pleased to welcome our MP Freddie van Mierlo to Waterperry Gardens and grateful for his interest in our work, our operations and aspirations for the future. Many thanks to Experience Oxfordshire for facilitating the visit.”