Tourism managers say they are confident of an upturn in business in Oxfordshire this year.

Despite last year's troubles with foot and mouth disease, a wet Easter and the terrorist attacks in America, they are optimistic that tourists will return in force, particularly with the Queen's Golden Jubilee coming up and the euro getting stronger.

Oxford tourism manager Jan Hull, who is employed by the Southern Tourist Board, said: "There is renewed interest from overseas visitors.

"It seems a lot of people postponed their trips rather than cancelling completely."

The chairman of the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce tourism group, James Stewart, said: "2002 is looking very buoyant for the hotel sector. UK customers and the conference market are supporting Oxfordshire's hotels and the UK tour market is also strong.

"Unfortunately the American market is not coming to fruition, but Oxford is not as reliant on American business as places such as Stratford and St Andrew's."

Mr Stewart, regional manager of MacDonald Hotels, which owns the Randolph and Eastgate hotels in Oxford, and The Bear Hotel, Woodstock, said newcomers such as The Holiday Inn in north Oxford, and proposals for hotels next to the Kassam Stadium at Minchery Farm and the former Oxford Prison site, highlighted the mood of optimism in the county.

"Oxford and Oxfordshire are strong brands. The signs are that Oxford has potential to grow as the number one destination in the UK," he added.

The optimism is being supported by Your Countryside, You're Welcome, a campaign to encourage people to visit the countryside, launched this week by the Government in association with the Countryside Agency and the English Tourism Council.

Other tourism initiatives include a trip to Dublin in January by West Oxfordshire District Council staff to market the Cotswolds, and the Southern Tourist Board's forthcoming Alice in Oxford website and leaflet to promote the city's literary connections. Alice in Wonderland author Lewis Carroll was a maths don at Christchurch.

The British Tourist Authority has also issued a brochure, UK City Experience, promoting Oxford and 22 other UK cities, available in 27 countries.