Oxford Bus Group hosts City Sightseeing Worldwide UK and Ireland forum

City Sightseeing operators from across the UK and Ireland gathered in Oxford for its annual forum.

Oxford Bus Group hosted the City Sightseeing Worldwide UK and Ireland Operator Forum at its Cowley House depot. Jeronimo Cardenas, Deputy CEO of City Sightseeing Worldwide was joined by operators from Dublin, Belfast, London, Glasgow, Edinburgh, York, Stratford-upon-Avon, Brighton, Cambridge and Galway.

Luke Marion, Managing Director of Oxford Bus Group, and his colleagues shared Oxford Bus Company’s experience of electrifying its fleet, which included its City Sightseeing Oxford vehicles. Delegates were able to inspect the charging infrastructure installed at the company's Cowley depot and enjoy a tour on a City Sightseeing Oxford bus.

Operators also received updates from City Sightseeing Worldwide and explored insights and market trends together.

Luke Marion said: “It was fantastic to host our City Sightseeing colleagues at Cowley House to share best practice and learn from each other. 

“The visitor economy is vital for the overall economic wellbeing not just of Oxford, but of cities across the UK and Ireland and City Sightseeing tours play a key role in attracting visitors, helping them orient themselves in their destination cities and giving them a first-class experience.

“Collectively City Sightseeing operators globally are experiencing increased demand and this has been driven, in part, by continued innovation by operators to ensure we provide compelling and varied tours.

“A key takeaway from the forum was that embracing innovation and technology alongside continuing to listen to customer feedback, and respond to wider market trends are important elements to maintain continued growth.”

City Sightseeing Oxford has eleven electric buses in its fleet, which includes three existing retrofitted vehicles. The eight new buses purchased in 2024 represent a £4M investment into Oxfordshire’s visitor economy. The vehicles are powered by 100% renewable electricity, helping to improve air quality, reduce carbon emissions and make Oxford an even more attractive place to visit.

Earlier this year City Sightseeing Oxford was recognised for its high levels of customer service after receiving a Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Award for 2024. The award came after City Sightseeing Oxford was placed in the top 10 per cent of listings globally by tourists in the last year.

Founded in 2002, City Sightseeing Oxford operates daily bus and walking tours of the city. The open-top bus tours operate on a hop-on-hop-off basis and take in Oxford’s most iconic sights including Oxford Castle, Christ Church, Magdalen Bridge and the Ashmolean Museum with commentary available in 14 languages.