Media

Reduced fares and easier ticketing to make Park & Ride first choice for drivers visiting Oxford

Park & Ride services in and around Oxford are now offering a combined parking and bus ticket to make services cheaper and more attractive for customers. Working together, Oxford City Council, Oxfordshire County Council, Oxford Bus Company and Stagecoach have made the changes to encourage more people to choose the Park & Ride over car…

New attractions and eco-friendly lights mark the 10th Illuminations at Fairytale Farm

Fairytale Farm‘s Illuminated Evenings return on Saturdays and Sundays from 8th October to 27th November 2022, with new attractions and eco-friendly lights. Farm owner, Nick Laister, says: “Our illuminations return bigger and better for 2022. We have numerous new illuminated features this year, including a Musical House, a creature rising from an illuminated pond and…

Deadline to enter Oxford Bus Company ‘Brand the Bus!’ Competition extended

Oxford Bus Company has extended its deadline for good causes to enter its Brand the Bus! competition. It has extended the time good causes have to enter by four weeks, taking the deadline to submit entries to November 1st at 23.59. The public vote will now close on December 1st. The 10 entries who receive…

Experience Oxfordshire welcomes news of a VAT-free shopping scheme for international visitors to the UK

Experience Oxfordshire, the Destination Management Organisation for the county, has welcomed the plan, announced as part of the government’s recent mini-budget, to introduce a new scheme allowing international visitors to reclaim the cost of VAT on their purchases. Hayley Beer-Gamage, CEO, said: “In the highly competitive global tourism marketplace, retail is a key incentive for…

Autumn What’s On at Blenheim Palace

A line up of exciting events awaits visitors to Blenheim Palace this autumn season with activities to engage all ages. From celebrating harvest with Autumn Fest to lighting up the night sky on all hallows eve there is lots to do at the UNESCO World Heritage Site this October and onwards. Autumn colours adorn the…

Oxfordshire couple to row 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean, returning to the Westgate Center to display their 23ft ocean rowing boat on the 1st and 2nd October.

In 4 months time, local couple Rosalind Chaston and Andy Hodgson will depart to row 3,000 nautical miles entirely unassisted across the Atlantic Ocean. They’ve branded their challenge, “Atlantic Escapade”. Home for the duration will be an ocean rowing boat, measuring just 7 metres from bow to stern. They will be carrying all of their…

Strategic Marketing Campaigns Commissioned –to support Oxfordshire’s visitor economy – announced by county’s Local Enterprise Partnership

A series of targeted marketing campaigns to promote Oxford and Oxfordshire have been commissioned with both Experience Oxfordshire and Cotswolds Tourism securing contracts to deliver the nine campaigns. The overall focus will be to reattract visitors, supporting an increase in footfall, engagement and resilience across key visitor economy destinations and experiences – particularly during off…

Halloween at Blenheim Palace promises a fright night for all the family during October half term

Creepy corpses and neon cobwebs are among chilling new installations at the immersive trail Halloween at Blenheim Palace next month.   The illuminated trail, which casts the beautiful gardens in a spectacularly eerie light, runs from 21-31 October 2022 and enables family and friends to wander from one ghostly space to another.   The corpses…

Knoops kicks off hot chocolate season with a free pumpkin spice hot chocolate

Cult chocolate drink brand mixes natural spices to create a warming beverage for Autumn months. Knoops, the UK’s first dedicated chocolate drinks brand, is launching a delicious and naturally spiced Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate (8oz, £4.45) and Limited Edition Toffee Apple Marshmallow (£1.50) in-store to celebrate the start of hot chocolate season, available from the…

Awe-inspiring Autumn Colours at Blenheim Palace

Autumnal colours make Blenheim Palace a must-see destination for nature lovers this season. The Oxfordshire UNESCO World Heritage Site is famed for its dazzling natural displays of yellow, orange and ochre leaves across the 2,000 acres of ‘Capability’ Brown landscaped Parkland. Visitors can enjoy the natural splendour of the ‘finest view in England’ in all…

Bus Operators back World Car Free Day

Oxfordshire residents are being encouraged to take the bus on World Car Free Day 2022 on Thursday September 22. Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel are taking part in the global initiative which aims to ease congestion and improve air quality by promoting mass transit, cycling and walking to motorists as alternative methods of travel….

Bus services to operate reduced timetables on day of Queen’s Funeral

Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel will operate a reduced service on Monday, the Public Holiday for the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.   Both bus operators will provide a Sunday service across all timetables. Its customer services and Oxford travel shops will also operate to amended hours. Customer services and the Gloucester Green…

Have your say on ‘masterplan’ for future of Oxford’s Covered Market

Oxford City Council is seeking views from local people on a proposed ‘masterplan’ to update Oxford’s historic Covered Market for the 21st Century. A period of public consultation is open from 10 September until 19 October 2022. These views will be used by the Council to refine the draft masterplan, which sets out proposals for…

‘Believe,’ Returns to Westgate Oxford

‘Believe’, the enchanted Christmas experience, is returning to Westgate Oxford with tickets set to go on sale next week. The wondrous Christmas grotto launched at Westgate Oxford for the first time in 2021 and, due to popular demand, is set to make a return this year. ‘Believe’ will open from Thursday 1st December, right up…

From Ferraris to fan cars: Salon Privé set to unleash the world’s most exciting machinery

• 75 years of Ferrari to be honoured with special parade on Classic & Supercar Day • Group B rally titans will be in action on the Blenheim Palace Hill Sprint • ‘Live on the Drive’ will showcase classic racers and next-generation hypercars • Classic & Supercar day marks the finale of Salon Privé Week…

The future of retail is ambience: New consultancy brand pledges to help the visitor economy survive and thrive

The future of retail is ambience. Stephen Spencer + Associates unveils new brand focusing on experiential retail for visitor attractions and premium niche retailers. Your shop is your event space – an activation or extension of your brand experience. Every journey that a customer takes through your store, both on and offline, should immerse them…

Lights, Camera, Action at Blenheim Palace

A new Lights, Camera, Action trail will give visitors the chance to follow in the footsteps of Hollywood A-Listers at Blenheim Palace. The Oxfordshire UNESCO World Heritage Site has been used as a filming location for movies and television for many years now and the new experience brings the movie palace to life. Visitors will…

Mobile ticketing technology launched for Oxford Smartzone

Oxford SmartZone passengers will soon be able to purchase tickets via a mobile phone app, to make bus journeys even easier.   New digital ticketing options for Oxford SmartZone passengers will be added to both the Oxford Bus Company and Stagecoach Bus apps for the first time from 28th August 2022. Tickets purchased on either…

Artisan Christmas Market returns to Blenheim Palace with biggest ever collection of stall holders for 2022

Blenheim Palace’s Great Court will be once again transformed into a spectacular Christmas Market from 18 November to 18 December this year. Traditional wooden chalets will showcase a range of festive treats for designer-makers and artisan food and drink producers – and this year’s market will be the biggest ever, with up to 80 stall…

Fairytale Farm announces family-friendly Halloween event

Fairytale Farm has announced its 2022 Halloween event, which will be running right through the October half-term, from 22nd to 30th October 2022. Called ‘Scarily Ever After‘, the event will feature fairytale baddies, as owner Nick Laister explains: “Once upon this Halloween, the Sea Witch has changed her ways, or so she tells us. So,…

Blenheim to Host European Transplant and Dialysis Games

Blenheim is set to host three days of competition as part of the European Transplant and Dialysis Games which will arrive in the UK next week (23rd-25th August) for the first time ever. The UNESCO World Heritage Site will be the venue for cycling, the 5km mini marathon and petanque. Running from 21st – 28th…