Oxford bounces back after Covid pandemic - council

Oxford City Council says the area was hit "harder than most" by the pandemic

An historic city is "thriving" after it was hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, its council has said.

Visitor numbers to Oxford surpassed pre-pandemic levels in August, according to new data from the local authority.

About three million people visited the centre in August 2023, compared to 2.5m in 2022 and 2.9m in 2019.

In addition to the increase in visitors, 26 new businesses have opened in the city this year.

'Vibrant'

The figures show the area saw a 14.6% increase in summer footfall, bucking the national trend, which saw an average 0.3% decrease across the UK.

Eight and a half million people visited the area between June and August this year, compared to 7.5m in 2022.

Visitor numbers to the Covered Market have also increased, coinciding with Oxford City Council's trial of extended opening hours, which sees it open until 23:00 BST between Thursdays and Saturdays.

In 2022, Oxford City Council adopted a City Centre Action Plan, which identified ways to strengthen the resilience of Oxford city centre following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Council Leader Susan Brown said: "This summer's rise in footfall shows Oxford city centre continues to be a thriving destination, despite national trends and despite the challenges of the Botley Road Bridge closure.

"It's been wonderful to see the city's streets and businesses busy over the summer and we have a lot of exciting projects planned - including the redevelopment of the Covered Market and the Clarendon Centre - that will help to keep the city centre vibrant."

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