CITY SIGHTSEEING OXFORD WINS TOP GLOBAL TRIPADVISOR TRAVELLERS’ CHOICE AWARD

City Sightseeing Oxford has scooped a prestigious award from Tripadvisor – after it was ranked as one of the top tourist attractions in the world.

The open-top bus tour, owned by Oxford Bus Company, scooped the accolade based on a full year of TripAdvisor reviews prior to any changes caused by the pandemic. Award winners are known for consistently receiving great visitor feedback, placing them in the top 10% of tourist attraction businesses around the globe.

And in a double boost the Carfax Tower, which is operated by City Sightseeing Oxford on behalf of Oxford City Council, was also awarded a Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice award. The tower is all that remains of the 13^th Century St Martin’s Church, the official city church of Oxford from 1122. The tower is open for visitors to take in amazing views of the Oxford skyline.

Phil Southall, Managing Director of City Sightseeing Oxford, said: “We are proud to have won this globally significant award that independently recognises the excellent service we provide to visitors to Oxford.

“Providing a world-class welcome to all visitors to Oxford is crucial to attracting people into the city. We maintained the City Sightseeing service throughout the summer despite the COVID-19 challenges to help support Oxford’s visitor economy at this challenging time.

“As part of this commitment we also opened our Visitor Information Point in the city to further enhance our offering to visitors. The open-top bus service is a fantastic way for visitors to explore our beautiful city and helps attract footfall into Oxford which supports the wider local economy.”

Councillor Mary Clarkson, Cabinet Member for City Centre, Covered Market and Culture, said:“This award shows what can happen when the public sector works together with local businesses. Not only has Carfax Tower generated an income for both organisations and created jobs, it has provided an excellent service and helped draw tourists into Oxford to benefit even more businesses.”

Kanika Soni, Chief Commercial Officer at Tripadvisor, said: “Winners of the 2020 Travellers’ Choice Awards should be proud of this distinguished recognition. Although it has been a challenging year for travel and hospitality, we want to celebrate our partners' achievements. Award winners are beloved for their exceptional service and quality.”

The City Sightseeing tour, owned by Oxford Bus Company, takes in the city’s famous sites, including the Oxford Castle, Christ Church College, Magdalen Bridge, Sheldonian Theatre, and Ashmolean Museum. The audio commentary is available in 14 languages, and a version for children, which includes quizzes, is also available. Last month City Sightseeing Oxford opened a Visitor Information Point in High Street providing a ‘one stop shop’ for visitors, and group or event organisers visiting the city.

Tripadvisor is the world's largest travel platform, helping millions of travellers plan their trips. Travellers across the globe use the Tripadvisor site and app to browse more than 860 million reviews and opinions of 8.7 million accommodations, restaurants, experiences, airlines and cruises.

For more information about the City Sightseeing Oxford tour, and to see the timetable, please visit: www.citysightseeingoxford.com