VisitEngland Chair congratulates Experience Oxfordshire as an exemplar organisation at Ambassador Dinner
One year on from receiving VisitEngland recognition as the county’s official Local Visitor Economy Partnership, Experience Oxfordshire welcomed the VisitEngland Advisory Board Chair, Lady Borwick, to meet with its Ambassador Partners at a dinner and roundtable forum held at Gees Restaurant & Bar in Oxford this week.
The event was an opportunity to meet some of the leading businesses and organisations operating in the county’s visitor economy that support the work of Experience Oxfordshire and to discuss the sector’s differentiating strengths and opportunities.
Lady Borwick, having arrived at Gees Gallery as a passenger on one of City Sightseeing Oxford’s newly launched, state of the art electric buses heard from entrepreneurs, hoteliers, attractions, transport operators, retail specialists, academics and local authorities that support the work of Experience Oxfordshire. In a wide ranging discussion the group exchanged views on skills shortages and promoting careers in the sector; place narrative and connectivity; gathering evidence and making the case for external support; ensuring cross government departments understand the sector’s value and their impact on it and the importance of Oxfordshire working together to ensure maximum effect. Lady Borwick congratulated Experience Oxfordshire for its work in bringing the sector together and stressed the need for reciprocal support.
Commenting on the outlook for tourism this year, Lady Borwick said: “Our sector is about people working in partnership to create prosperity. It has huge potential for supporting economic growth across England and here in Oxfordshire you are particularly fortunate in the blend of attractions on offer to visitors, the breadth and depth of businesses operating here and the competency of the destination management organisation. Through collaboration we are all stronger and I urge the county to continue to come together around shared objectives to achieve your joint potential.”
Responding to Lady Borwick, Experience Oxfordshire CEO, Stuart Crook said: “We are the county’s official Local Visitor Economy Partnership and we work to optimise opportunities to raise Oxfordshire’s profile domestically and internationally as a leading destination. As an organisation, therefore, working in partnership is our foundation stone and the diversity of businesses represented here tonight is testament to that.”
Cllr Liz Leffman, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council said: “It is heartening to hear VisitEngland’s commendation of Experience Oxfordshire and its work and the reminder of the importance of collaboration across the sector. Tourism is such a vital part of our local economy and we must work together to ensure that the benefit is county-wide.”
Luke Marion, Managing Director of Oxford Bus Company spoke of their company’s pride in bringing to Oxford the first fleet of electric powered sightseeing buses: “The Oxford Bus Company, part of the global City Sightseeing family, is delighted to play its part in ensuring the sustainable future of Oxfordshire’s visitor economy. The Ambassador Partners working together can influence the development of the sector in a hugely positive way and, as an Ambassador Partner, we commend Experience Oxfordshire for their work encouraging cooperation and collaboration across the sector.”
Dominic Hare, Chief Executive of Blenheim Palace, said: “The global tourism marketplace is highly competitive and Oxfordshire needs to ensure it has a clear story to tell prospective visitors. Experience Oxfordshire fulfils this role, offering excellent value through its work communicating across our sector and reaching out to visitors.”
Jeremy Mogford, owner of The Oxford Collection expressed his pleasure at hosting the Ambassadors’ Dinner: “We were delighted to partner with Experience Oxfordshire and welcome to our Gees Gallery on the Woodstock Road, Oxford, VisitEngland’s Chair, Lady Borwick, along with so many influential figures from Oxfordshire’s visitor economy. We commend Experience Oxfordshire for bringing us all together to discuss not only the challenges faced by operators, but also to recognize the opportunities on offer for tourism in Oxfordshire. We continue to have faith in, and support Experience Oxfordshire in representing and speaking up for the county’s visitor economy.”
Attendance at the event included representatives from commercial businesses, service providers, local authority members and senior staff from across the county and beyond:
Activate Learning, Bauer Media Group, Bicester Motion, Bicester Village, Blenheim Palace, Cherwell District Council, City Sightseeing Oxford, Experience Oxfordshire, Great Western Railway, Hedges, Mills & Reeves, Oxford Brookes Business School, Oxford Bus Company, Oxford United Football Club, Oxfordshire County Council, Richardsons, Silverstone Museum, The Oxford Collection, The Store, VisitBritain/VisitEngland, Wellers.
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NOTES TO EDITORS
Images 1 to 7 available via the following link. Additional images available via this link.
Image 1: Lady Borwick, Visit England Advisory Board Chair with (L to R) Stuart Crook, Chair of Experience Oxfordshire, Jeremy Mogford owner of The Oxford Collection, Hayley Beer-Gamage CEO Experience Oxfordshire
Image 2: Ambassador Partners and invited guests at Experience Oxfordshire’s Ambassador Dinner in Gees Gallery, Oxford
Image 3: Jeremy Mogford welcomes Ambassador Partners and invited guests to Gees Gallery, Oxford
Image 4: Stuart Crook introduces Lady Borwick to Ambassador Partners and invited guests at Experience Oxfordshire’s Ambassador Dinner
Image 5: Lady Borwick addresses Ambassador Partners and invited guests at Experience Oxfordshire’s Ambassador Dinner
Image 6: Ambassador Partners and invited guests at Experience Oxfordshire’s Ambassador Dinner in Gees Gallery, Oxford
Image 7: (L to R) Hayley Beer-Gamage, Lady Borwick, Stuart Crook and Luke Marion, Managing Director of Oxford Bus Company, with one of City Sightseeing Oxford’s newly launched electric buses
Experience Oxfordshire is the official Destination Management Organisation (DMO) for Oxfordshire. It is the trading arm of the parent charity, Experience Oxfordshire Charitable Trust, and is 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.
Experience Oxfordshire was one of the first English destinations to gain Local Visitor Economy Partnership (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.
Experience Oxfordshire Ambassadors collectively bring valuable insight, support and strategic direction to the work Experience Oxfordshire does as the Destination Management Organisation for the County. For more information go to: www.experienceoxfordshire.org/partner/about-us/experience-oxfordshire-ambassadors
Current Ambassadors include:
Activate Learning, Bicester Village, Blenheim Palace, Cherwell District Council, Great Western Railway, Hedges, Bauer Media Group (Greatest Hits Radio), Oxford Bus Company, Oxford United Football Club, Oxfordshire County Council, Stagecoach Oxfordshire, The Oxford Collection, Pye Homes, Westgate Oxford
For more information on Experience Oxfordshire go to www.experienceoxfordshire.org/partner or contact partnership@experienceoxfordshire.org
Media 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
X – @ExperienceOx and @ExperienceOxBiz
LinkedIn – Experience Oxfordshire
VisitBritain/VisitEngland is the national tourism agency, a non-departmental public body funded by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS). Statutory duties are to encourage people to visit Great Britain and people living in Great Britain to take their holidays there; encourage the provision and improvement of tourist amenities and facilities in Great Britain; advise any minister or public body on matters relating to tourism in Great Britain as a whole. www.visitbritain.org/about-us
The Oxford Collection is an independently owned collection of two 5-star plus luxury hotels and three stunning restaurants, all in central Oxford. Both hotels; the Old Bank and Old Parsonage, are situated in historic landmark buildings within easy reach of the most popular attractions in the city centre. Restaurants Quod, Gees and Parsonage Grill, are Oxford’s popular destinations for both visitors to the city and locals alike. Ingredients are locally sourced where possible, expertly prepared and beautifully presented. www.theoxfordcollection.co.uk/
