Experience Oxfordshire has hosted a cross-party discussion of the visitor economy with three newly elected Oxfordshire MPs.
Oxfordshire businesses and key influencers from across the visitor economy – including local authorities, academia, business services, hospitality, conferences, events, and visitor attractions – gathered to hear from Sean Woodcock, Labour MP for Banbury; Olly Glover, Liberal Democrat MP for Didcot and Wantage, and Charlie Maynard, Liberal Democrat MP for Witney. The MPs shared their priorities and ambitions for their constituencies and the tourism sector while expressing their joint expectations for how visitor economy operators could collaborate to support their advocacy for the sector.
In the one-hour online event, the MPs discussed the infrastructure, employment, and economic issues affecting the Oxfordshire sector, its reputation and strengths, and the opportunities it could harness.
Questions from attendees prompted a lively discussion around areas impacting on growth and development: from the breadth of knowledge and ability within the county to support a sustainable sector, the need for investment in rail and affordable accommodation in order to grow the workforce through to creating stronger links between business, career advice and students to improve awareness of employment opportunities within the visitor economy. The MPs understood the sector’s disappointment at not being recognised within ‘Invest 2035: the UK’s modern industrial strategy’, but were united in stating their support for the sector and their unique ability to advocate for Oxfordshire’s visitor economy.
Hayley Beer-Gamage, CEO of Experience Oxfordshire said, “We are extremely grateful to the three Members of Parliament for taking time to join so many of Experience Oxfordshire’s partners, along with key influencers from the county’s visitor economy to discuss the important issues affecting our sector which currently contributes £2.3 billion and supports 10% of the county’s employment. Our MPs recognise the importance of the visitor economy and that it still requires assistance in its recovery following the setbacks of recent years. We appreciated their offer of support to act as advocates, and their recommendation that we speak with one voice. As the official LVEP for the county, Experience Oxfordshire looks forward to working with all our MPs to ensure that Oxfordshire’s profile as a visitor destination is promoted and that its tourism sector, as an economic generator, is clearly understood.”
A recent report into the economic impact of tourism commissioned by Experience Oxfordshire showed that Oxfordshire is following the national pattern with growth in the number of international visitors to the UK in 2023 and a drop in the number of UK residents taking trips at home when compared to 2022, which was a particularly good year for domestic tourism.
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