TOURISM in Oxfordshire had an “exceptional” 2013, but experts are warning a shortage of hotel rooms is holding back further growth.

Spending by overnight visitors increased 4 per cent last year to £634m, boosting the county’s £1.47bn tourism industry, according to a study commissioned by not-for-profit tourism body Experience Oxfordshire.

Oxford Mail:

 Jamie Craig at the Cotswold Wildlife Park

But tourism and council figures suggested the trend would only increase if more beds were available in Oxford.

Experience Oxfordshire chief executive Giles Ingram called the increase in spending “exceptional”, but added: “Bedroom availability is very limited, through Easter to September in particular. Occupancy rates are very high by national standards [about 85 per cent]. Future growth would be driven faster by an increase in accommodation.”

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He also called for better use of public space to handle the number of people visiting the city, such as wider footpaths and more public squares.

Jean Fooks, leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Oxford City Council, said the city needed more hotel accommodation “at the lower end of the market”.

She said: “We clearly need a way of finding people places to stay that they can afford.”

Oxford Mail:

Giles Ingram in Broad Street

Oxford City Council spokesman Chofamba Sithole said: “The city council is aware of the shortage of suitable hotel accommodation in the city and has specific planning policies to encourage more accommodation.”

Among proposed hotel developments, Fullers Brewery plans to convert existing space at the Head of the River pub by Folly Bridge into more bedrooms, and Mogford Hotels and Restaurants has submitted plans to convert an office at 36 St Giles into a hotel.

There’s a hotel factored in to the station redevelopment.

The boom in spending led to an additional 910 jobs in the sector, according to the report, increasing the labour force by three per cent to 31,259 actual jobs in 2013 Oxford was the most popular tourist destination in the county, attracting 38 per cent of total tourist expenditure.

The figures were obtained through the Cambridge Model, using national surveys as well as local data such as on accommodation and attractions, which were combined with average spend per trip.

Oxford Mail:

Colin Shone at Cogges Manor Farm

Cotswold Wildlife Park curator Jamie Craig said the reason their visitors were up year on year – with 300,000 expected this year – was that: “People get fed up and they just want to go out.”

And the global hit television series Downton Abbey continued to have a positive impact on tourism in Oxfordshire, which is used for many of the show’s locations.

Colin Shone, director of the Cogges Manor Farm, said the show had helped boost the Witney tourist attraction’s visitors from 7,000 in 2007 to an expected 40,000 in 2014.

Hotel prices

Price for a double-room on a Saturday night in Oxford:

  • Victoria House Hotel, George St, £95 
  • Mercure Oxford Eastgate Hotel, High St, £180 
  • Malmaison Hotel (Oxford Castle), New Rd, £234 
  • Oxford Spires Four Pillars Hotel, Abingdon Rd, £240 
  • Macdonald Randolph Hotel, Beaumont St, £289 
  • Old Parsonage Hotel, Banbury Rd, £295

Key tourism figures 2013

FOR Oxfordshire:

  • £1.47bn direct tourism-related expenditure 
  • 31,259 actual jobs 
  • 2.57 million overnight trips 
  • 23.97 million day trips


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