According to the recent Economic Impact Report for Tourism commissioned by Experience Oxfordshire, the county saw an increase of 5.1% to visitor spend in 2018, taking the value up to £2.28bn.
The results of the report also show the county welcomed almost 32 million visitors last year, supporting nearly 39,000 jobs across Oxfordshire and accounting for 11% of all employment in the county.
Along with the iconic college buildings of the top-ranking university in the world (Times Higher Education 2019), the 'city of dreaming spires' sits within a county home to a world-renowned rural landscape, featuring assets such as the Cotswolds and Blenheim Palace.
A key contributor to the county's impressive visitor economy figures, Oxfordshire's countryside tourism assets are surrounded by SMEs bringing further employment and income into rural areas.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has reopened for Expressions of Interest for grant funding available under their RDPE Growth Programme, under three themes:
- Food Processing
- Rural Business Development
- Rural Tourism Infrastructure
