news Issue 28 February 2014 Value of Tourism in West Oxfordshire Continues to Rise The latest annual economic impact of tourism figures commissioned by Tourism South East, show that yet again the value of tourism continues to increase in West Oxfordshire. 2012 saw an increase in the number of visitors to West Oxfordshire from 4.14 million in 2011 to 4.28 million visitor trips. In turn, these visitors spent just over 268.2 million in the local economy (an increase of 3.2% on the previous year). The number of day visitors also increased by 3.6% with increased expenditure of 2.7%. Domestic staying trips increased by 2.5% and saw an increased expenditure of 4.4%. Surprisingly, despite a small decline in overseas staying visits, that market saw an increase in visitor spend of 3.3%. The distribution of expenditure is shown in the table below: Overnight trips account for over a third of total visitor spend despite only accounting for around 15% of visitor numbers reinforcing our strategy of getting visitors to stay longer and spend more. We also continue to invest heavily in the overseas markets as their spend is so much significantly higher per visit which is also reflected in these figures. Most staying visitors stayed in serviced accommodation (55%), Non serviced accommodation accounted for 16% (includes self-catering and camping and caravanning) with 29% staying with friends or relatives. Tourism also remains an important sector for the local industry of West Oxfordshire with full time employment in tourism increasing to 3420 (from 3209 in 2011). The total number of tourism jobs in the area now stands at around 4,800; approximately 10% of the Districts workforce. These are extremely positive figures for tourism given that it was the Olympic year and there was considerable speculation about how the sector would fare. We continue to promote West Oxfordshire as the Oxfordshire Cotswolds to domestic and overseas markets and aspire for continuous growth in this sector. Staying visitors Day visitors Total Accommodation 33% 0% 15% Retail 22% 20% 21% Catering 23% 47% 36% Attraction/ entertainment 12% 13% 12% Transport 10% 22% 16% Table showing the distribution of expenditure for visitors to West Oxfordshire in 2012
Downton Abbey in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds Images courtesy: JamesWildman New Downton Abbey themed tours launched to the Oxfordshire Cotswolds We are excited to announce that, from March 2014, Downton Abbey themes tours will be available from London to the Oxfordshire Cotswolds. We have worked in partnership with International Friends to develop an interesting itinerary and the tours are now on sale. The tours offered include both day trips and overnight stays within the Downton Abbey theme. They are branded as the Oxfordshire Cotswolds and include many of our local businesses. At present, businesses and villages that are included are Cogges, The Swan Inn, Bampton, Shilton and Blenheim Palace. We are delighted that they will also be utilising a variety of accommodation across the area. All details of the tours can be found here: http://www.internationalfriends.co.uk/white/oxford/ downton-abbey-day-trips-and-tours.html Series 4 of Downton Abbey has just premiered in the USA with a record 10.2 million viewers and the global interest in the product is huge. We are working hard with both VisitBritain and VisitEngland to ensure wide distribution of our Oxfordshire Cotswolds Downton Abbey offering. Jimmy Greene, Director at International Friends who will be running the new tours locally said : It s been fantastic working with the team at Oxfordshire Cotswolds to launch a selection of Downton Abbey themed day trips and overnight tours. From day one the interest from trade and consumers has been exceptionally high, particularly from North America. Our partnership with Oxfordshire Cotswolds has enabled us Launch of Downton Abbey Leaflet It was no surprise to us when the producers of Downton Abbey chose t h e O x f o r d s h i r e Cotswolds to film some of the most memorable moments of the past 4 series. To capitalise on this, we have just produced a new leaflet showcasing the series locations which can be downloaded on-line at the address below - it is also available as a leaflet. /downton
2014 set to be record-breaking year for tourism VisitBritain forecasts a record-breaking 2014 as the Government commits a further 90 million in funding to its international GREAT campaign over the next two years. As an excellent year for British tourism closed, VisitBritain predicted new tourism heights in 2014. The national tourism agency forecast an increase in both visits and overseas visitor numbers which will result in recordbreaking visitor spend of around 21.5 billion, representing growth of 4.2% in nominal terms. In its 2014 forecast VisitBritain predicted continued strong growth from emerging markets, such as Malaysia, South Korea, China and Mexico. New flight routes from Chengdu, Beijing, Manila and Jakarta, together with improvements to the Chinese and Gulf visa processes, are expected to deliver a step change in Britain s accessibility and result in a swift uplift of those visitors choosing Britain as a holiday destination. Sandie Dawe, Chief Executive at VisitBritain said: Government investment in the millions will bring tourism returns in the billions. This year is set to be a record it just goes to show what can be achieved with a clear strategy and cooperation across all the major Government agencies promoting Britain overseas. Cotswolds a hit with the Americas Poster images copyright British Council Britain has already experienced significant tourism gains in 2013 and it is expected that figures will show a 6% increase in the numbers of overseas visitors. In a move that recognises the importance of tourism as an export industry, the Government has committed a further 90 million of GREAT campaign funding over the next two years. The campaign was launched in 2011 to capitalise on the Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics and Paralympics. It promotes Britain internationally as a place to visit and do business and has featured British stars from the worlds of sport, entertainment and the creative industries. Minister for Tourism, Helen Grant, said: Millions of people flock to British shores every year and our tourist attractions are world class. Tourism is a key plank of our economy, helping to drive growth and promoting Britain on the world stage. After a record 2013, we want to do even better in 2014 and that s why we are committing an additional 90 million to our fantastic GREAT campaign - to showcase the very best of Britain in key international markets, encouraging visitors to come and experience it for themselves. VistBritain recently commissioned a study of 10,000 people from 19 countries around the world to find out which of the activities available only in Britain they would most like to do. Visiting Buckingham Palace was the clear favourite followed by viewing London from the Shard or London Eye and third was visiting Edinburgh Castle. Image: View over Finstock from Fawler. 2010 Jamie Smith In the countryside, spotting wildlife in the Scottish Highlands was a big draw for the French and Germans whilst a tour of the Cotswolds was particularly appealing to visitors from America, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. Generally older respondents were more likely to choose countryside activities, especially tours of the Cotswolds and the Snowdon mountain trail but 14% chose the Cotswolds as one of their top 3 British destinations.
Promoting the Oxfordshire Cotswolds January saw the start of the Trade and Group Travel exhibitions around the country. The Oxfordshire Cotswolds is a well-known brand and destination at these events and we have more than a fair share of the visitors wanting to know a little more about what there is to see and do in the area as well as where to stay, either as a visitor or as a travel organiser/buyer. Here are some of the events the team are attending in the first quarter of this year. Destinations: The Holiday & Travel Show There were over 300 exhibition brands on site who welcomed 23,586 active consumers and holiday makers to Manchester over a 4 day period. We were delighted to welcome Blenheim Palace, De Vere Venues Heythrop Park Resort and Four Pillars Hotels as key stand partners. http://www.destinationsshow.com/ Heythrop Park hosts Group Travel Fair On Saturday 1 st March, our very own De Vere Venues Heythrop Park will be hosting Tourism South East s annual Group Travel Fair and we will, of course, be there promoting the local area with our Oxfordshire Cotswolds stand. Held annually, the Beautiful South Group Travel Fairs are sponsored by Group Travel Organiser magazine and over 20,000 invitations are distributed to group travel operators, coach and tour operators, schools, youth groups and special interest groups. The fairs comprise of over 40 exhibitors from destinations, attractions, entertainment, accommodations and places to eat. The fairs attract approximately 250 visitors at each venue all looking for information and ideas for future group travel itineraries. March Marketplace 2014 this is an exclusive Hosted Buyers Marketplace, for selling British products, held annually at Wembley Stadium. It is a day full of appointments with representatives who want to buy into the Oxfordshire Cotswolds brand. There will be 30 appointments over the course of a day from representatives around the world. TravMedia s - International Media Marketplace Event is the Travel Industry s showpiece media event. It is an exhibition-style event held at The Dorchester, London, which brings together top travel and lifestyle journalists with brands from across the international travel and tourism sectors.
Holiday World Show 2014 - In January we attended the Holiday World Show 2014 in D u b l i n, i n partnership with VisitEngland. We met with key t r a n s p o r t operators of air, rail, sea and coach to entice them to add the O x f o r d s h i r e Cotswolds to their groups and travel itineraries. The event was a huge success with significant interest in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds product proposition. For more information go to http:// www.holidayworldshow.com/visit/dublin/ Russia Travel Trade - Following on from the success of Destination Britain Russia in 2013, VisitBritain will be taking a delegation of UK companies to Russia for a Sales Mission in February 2014. We are delighted that the Oxfordshire Cotswolds will be part of this in partnership with Blenheim Palace. Buyers will come from the main cities and regions of Russia as well as other Russian speaking CIS countries and are looking to gain new travel product information. It is a great opportunity to the raise the profile to this emerging and lucrative market. Brochure Distribution at ITB - ITB Berlin is the world's largest tourism trade fair with approximately 10,600 exhibitors in 2013 representing every sector of the tourism industry. The exhibition lasts 5 days of which 3 days are for trade visitors only. The 2013 event attracted 172,132 visitors, of which 113,006 were trade visitors and 59,126 consumers. ITB is the most important annual trade event in Germany. This year VisitEngland will be attending the event and have Oxfordshire Cotswolds brochures and information to distribute. Being represented by VisitEngland at such a huge event is a fantastic opportunity to raise the profile of our destination. http://www.itb-berlin.de/en/ Meeting the French Trade - On 13 th February the Oxfordshire Cotswolds will be represented at the VisitBritain Meet the French Trade event in Paris. This key event sees operators from Paris and from the regions attend a workshop of free flow meetings to find out about the latest attractions, and new products or themes for 2014. We are delighted to, once again, be partnering with Blenheim Palace on this event which will be a great opportunity to raise the profile of the Oxfordshire Cotswolds and all our partners in this market. Photographic Competition Launches Photographers are being invited again this year to enter the Oxfordshire Cotswolds photographic competition. We are looking for images which cover a wide range of subjects; anything from churches to family fun, or eating out to local events. We will be offering a very special prize to the winner; a beautiful canvas print of the winning image created by Blueprint Imaging Limited www.blueprintimaging.com plus a scrumptious tea for two in the Wedgwood Room at De Vere Venues Heythrop Park Resort www.cpheythroppark.co.uk The entry forms and T&Cs are available from our website /photos
The Tourism Society The Tourism Society is the professional membership body for people working in all sectors of the visitor economy. The Society was founded in 1977 with the aim of driving up standards of professionalism in a fast-growing global industry which can have major social, economic and environmental impacts on communities and nations. Its members number over 1100 and represent tour operators, hotel chains, PR, marketing and representation companies, tourist attractions, national, regional and local tourist boards, restaurants, trade media, charities, consultants, academics, students and educational establishments, among others. Whether you work in the public, private or voluntary sector, are well-established in your career path or are just starting out on a travel or tourism course at college or university, the Tourism Society offers unrivalled opportunities to develop your business contacts and tap into a wealth of experience and expertise. Our two Professional Sections also offer particular benefits to destination managers (The Tourism Management Institute) and consultants (Tourism Consultants Network). What the Society can offer you: regular meetings throughout the UK a quarterly journal ('Tourism') access to an extensive database of industry colleagues signposts to better business opportunities education and careers support If you are interested in sharing your commitment to tourism with like-minded people the why not join the Tourism Society. Rates start as low as 99 for individual membership with corporate rates available. For more information visit www.tourismsociety.org or contact Gregory Yeoman at the s o c i e t y w h o w i l l b e h a p p y t o h e l p gregory@tourismsociety.org English Tourism Week is a week-long celebration of events showcasing the quality and vibrancy of the visitor experiences and the value our industry brings to our nation. This year it will run from the 29th March until the 6th of April. In the Oxfordshire Cotswolds we are celebrating and supporting the week with FREEdom to enjoy. Itineraries, ideas and information will be available at the Burford and Witney Visitor Information Centres something to do every day that won t cost you a penny! From visiting Bampton and spotting some of the locations seen in Downton Abbey to churches, museums and wonderful countryside walks, there is so much on offer. With the Rollright Stones in the north, the Thames Path to the south, Woodstock to the east Burford to the west and a wonderful variety in the middle how could you not enjoy? If you would like to get involved in English Tourism Week and have something you would like to add to FREEdom to enjoy then please contact us. A dedicated page on our website for English Tourism W e e k c a n b e f o u n d h e r e /englishtourismweek If your business is doing something for English Tourism Week then don t forget to register it with VisitEngland http://www.visitengland.org/england-tourism-industry/ etw/etw14/etwsubmission.aspx English Tourism Week Oxfordshire Cotswolds Rose
Success for Oxfordshire Cotswolds Businesses at the Beautiful South Awards Our very own Burford Visitor Information Centres has been selected as among the best in the South East after receiving a Highly Commended award at Tourism South East s 2013 Beautiful South awards in the Sustainable Tourism category. The evening showcased great success across the Oxfordshire Cotswolds with many of our businesses partners also gaining awards. So congratulations to: Blenheim Palace winning Gold in the business tourism category The Feathered Nest won Gold as the Pub of the Year and Flavour of the South East as well as being Highly Commended for customer service. Bill Spectre s Ghost Trails were Highly Commended for best tourism experience. Our new look website proves a hit; 6 MILLION times! Last year the Oxfordshire Cotswolds website had a complete refresh and the new look has obviously gone down well with visitors, as our hits soared to almost 6 million last year. Not only does the site now have a whole new look but it also has a number of new features that could benefit your business. Social media : our live Twitter feed and links to our Facebook and Pinterest channels mean that we can help promote any interesting news you may have just let us know! Banner ads: we can now put banner ads on lots of different pages on our website, so if you have anything you d like to push just let us know! Online booking: the new website has far more options to promote available accommodation, including full integration with Eviivo Frontdesk products (just make sure you ve got the Oxfordshire Cotswolds website channel ticked), so if you ve got rooms to fill just let us know! Do take a look at the new website and let us know what you think and check your own entry on there! There is also a dedicated business section / industry We are here to help your business, so keep in touch!
UKinbound We are delighted to announce the the Oxfordshire Cotswolds are now members of UKinbound. UKinbound is one of the leading trade associations and only which focuses solely on the interests of the UK's inbound tourism sector. Striving to remove the barriers to growth and ensuring a more competitive environment for inbound tourism in which the industry can flourish, UKinbound addresses and engages with Government, the media, travel trade and the general public to raise awareness of the Oxfordshire Cotswolds Tourism Superstar goes National! We are delighted to announce that the winner of the 2013 O x f o r d s h i r e Cotswolds Tourism Superstar - Walter S t e w a r t - B r o w n from Crowne Plaza Heythrop Park has now been shortlisted for the national award! VisitEngland, the national tourist board, have just announced the s h o r t l i s t f o r Walter Stewart-Brown receiving his trophy Tourism Superstar 2014. The tourism accolade was launched 2 years ago as part of English Tourism Week (this year running 29 March 6 April). The award recognises the dedication and passion of those working in the tourism industry, and is awarded to an individual who goes above and beyond the call of duty to ensure visitors to England have a priceless experience. VisitEngland has teamed up with national newspaper, The Daily Mirror to host an online public vote. From 1 March, a short film of all nominees will be found on www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/travel where readers can vote for their favourite. The winner will be announced on March 29, the first day of English Tourism Week and will be invited to attend VisitEngland s Awards for Excellence held in May this year where their Award will be presented to them in person. We would like to wish Walter the very best of luck! importance of inbound tourism to the UK economy. Through being part of UKinbound we are confident that we will continue to grow our presence in the overseas marketplace. http://www.ukinbound.org/ Make sure you re in the 2014 Bedroom Browser Work has now started on this year s bedroom browser. Don t miss out on your opportunity to reach the ideal target market: people already in the area and actively looking for things to see and do, thirsting for places to eat and drink, searching for shops, for ideas and for inspiration. The Bedroom Browser will once again be printed in a large, eye-catching and colourful A4 design on heavy duty paper and with laminated covers to help make them last throughout the year. Copies are distributed free of charge to accommodation providers across the district, representing almost 250,000 bed nights worth of potential advertising! If you would like to advertise or want any more information on this ever popular publication, please contact chris.jackson@westoxon.gov.uk You can also find information, including the 2014 rate card, online at /browser
An Invitation from Cotswold Woollen Weavers Last year we came up with the idea to invite tourism partners to come and see what we do. It is always difficult to match what tourists are looking for, so we thought it would be a good idea to invite people involved in the tourism trade to come and see for themselves what we do at Cotswold Woollen Weavers. Cotswolds Visitor Giving Scheme pays off Since 2013, visitors to the Cotswolds have been encouraged to donate to landscape and environmental projects in the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) by a scheme set up by the Cotswold Conservation Board.. The Cotswolds Visitor Giving Scheme raises money from nominal amounts donated by visitors to the area, and has just granted its first set of grants to the Cotswolds River Trust and the World Land Trust. Chris Grimes, of Burford holiday lettings company Manor Cottages, was the first tourism business in the Cotswolds to sign up for the visitor giving scheme and said in the Witney Gazette: It s excellent news to hear that funds which have been raised through our customers are already being put to such good use and helping to look after these special places in the Cotswolds AONB. With this in mind, please do come to Weavers Wednesday at Cotswold Woollen Weavers, on Wednesdays. It s that simple. You, and any members of your staff, are very welcome to come along and join us on any Wednesday between 10am and 1pm and have a free coffee and cake, and look around. We would be delighted to meet you and we are sure you will find the place fascinating, and the visit useful. Its an opportunity to meet colleagues in the visitor trade, to make new contacts and explore our textile design studio, museum, shops, sculpture gallery and coffee shop. The first Weavers Wednesday of 2014 will be on 5 th February. Just turn up and introduce yourselves or let us know in advance that you are coming. We look forward to seeing you. Trish, Richard & Jane Partners at: Cotswold Woollen Weavers Filkins, Lechlade. Glos GL7 3JJ Owners of tourism businesses who want to find out more about participating in the Cotswolds Visitor Giving Scheme should call Simon Smith at the Cotswolds Conservation Board on 01451 862031 or email: simon.smith@ cotswoldsaonb.org.uk Image courtesy: Cotswolds Conservation Board. Chris Grimes, of Manor Cottages, is pictured, back, right, at the launch of the scheme with, back, left, Nick Holliday, chairman of the Cotswolds Sustainable Tourism Partnership, and, front, Susie Hunt, of Batsford Arboretum, and Harry Acland, of Notgrove Holiday Cottages
Excellent Events Did you know that the Oxfordshire Cotswolds has a brilliant events page? Over the course of a year many thousands of events are uploaded to this page promoting the fantastic range of things to do and places to go in our area. Anything from battle proms to guided walks or exhibitions to Bampton day of dance we have it all. If you have an event that you d like promoted, and it takes place in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds, you can submit it on the What s on page on our website: http:///whats-on DIARY dates 5-7 February UKInbound Annual Convention 13 February VisitBritian Meet the French Trade 14 February Bedroom Browser deadline 23-26 February Destination Britain Russia 2014 Image: Wilderness Festival, courtesy Benjamin Eagle 25 February 9:30 11:00 12:30-14:00 Using LinkedIn Effectively Using Twitter to Promote your Business Witney. info@urbanelement.com 1 March Tourism South East Group Travel Fair 3 March TravMedia s International Media Marketplace 5-9 March ITB Berlin 31 March 6 April English Tourism Week 31 March OxCots Photograph competition deadline Join the Oxfordshire Cotswolds (OxCots) on West Oxfordshire District Council Tourism Team Hayley Beer Tourism Services Manager hayley.beer@westoxon.gov.uk 01993 861561 Chris Jackson Tourism Development Officer chris.jackson@westoxon.gov.uk 01993 861563 Diane Blackwell Tourism Development Officer diane.blackwell@westoxon.gov.uk 01993 861553 Vivienne Stobo Visitor Information Centres vivienne.stobo@westoxon.gov.uk 01993 861780