City Sightseeing Oxford has been named the world’s top open-top bus tour operator, taking home the Operator of the Year accolade at the 23rd edition of the City Sightseeing worldwide annual conference, held this month in Porto, Portugal.
The company, launched in 2002, beat off global competition from more than 100 operators from cities including London, Edinburgh, Toronto, Madrid, Dubai, and New Orleans. The award recognises strong customer service performance, brand visibility, fleet standards, and safety and communication management, and follows a £4 million investment made in 2023 to convert City Sightseeing Oxford’s fleet to fully electric vehicles as part of its commitment to improving air quality in the City Centre.
Clarisse Garcia, Retail and Tourism Manager at City Sightseeing Oxford, says: “To be recognised as the top operator within the City Sightseeing worldwide network of operators is an exceptional achievement. I am incredibly proud of the team for their passion and hard work to deliver an excellent experience for our customers, which has made achieving this recognition possible. We are privileged to showcase the very best of Oxford to our customers seven days a week and look forward to welcoming more people onboard in the coming weeks to coincide with the summer holidays.”
Luke Marion, Managing Director of City Sightseeing Oxford, adds: “I’m incredibly proud of this achievement and thank all my colleagues who go above and beyond daily to deliver world-class tours of the city. It’s been a big year at City Sightseeing Oxford with a significant investment in our re-brand, all-electric fleet and continued innovation into offering varied tours and experiences. It is an ideal way for tourists to enjoy the city and is a key part of the overall visitor economy that is vital to Oxford’s economic success.”
City Sightseeing Oxford has also retained its Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Scheme accreditation from VisitEngland for another year.
