VISITORS are being urged not to abandon Oxford as the county gears up for a bumper bank holiday weekend.

With the weather set to improve, traders are hoping the weekend will bring the last big opportunity for tourist attractions to cash in before the schools return.

And extra buses are being put on to help cope with demand as people are asked not to be put off by roadworks or parking.

With a host of events including the Foodies Festival in Oxford’s South Park, the Big Feastival and the Festival of Transport at Blenheim Palace, there will be no shortage of options for days out.

MasterChef finalist Tony Rodd will be among the top chefs cooking up a treat at the tenth Oxford Foodies Festival.

The 2015 finalist on the hit BBC TV show will be sharing some of his favourite recipes with visitors to the annual event. He said: “It’s going to be a great weekend, I’m excited to be cooking for Oxford foodies.”

According to Oxford City Council, Oxford is the seventh most visited city in the UK, with a total of 9.5 million visitors a year. This includes visitors from other countries, and those from inside the UK, generating an estimated £770m of income for local businesses.

Ulrika Werner, of Experience Oxfordshire, which promotes tourism in the county, said: “The bank holiday weekend is set to be sunny and the school holidays are still on, so we expect that it should hopefully be quite busy.

“Given the sunshine, people will probably look for outdoor activities, including punting at the Cherwell Boathouse, river cruises at Oxford River Cruises and Salter’s Steamers, walking tours around the city, visits to Cotswold Wildlife Park or Blenheim Palace.”

Director of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford Dr Xa Sturgis said it was a great opportunity for people to visit the museum while Simon Gilbane, duty manager at Oxford Castle Unlocked, said they were looking forward to welcoming families over the weekend.

But some traders are hoping traffic congestion and train strikes will not put off the tourists. Sultan Ansari, who runs the Ansari Boutique in Oxford’s Covered Market, said he fears people will be put off coming into the city to spend.

He said: “The bank holiday is usually as good as December but the traffic problems are going to make life difficult for us.”

First Great Western spokesman James Davis said 70 per cent of rail services will be running on Sunday and Monday.

Oxford Bus Company said it would be putting on additional park-and-ride services on its 300 and 400 routes and Stagecoach said it would be allocating “additional resources” to help cope with demand.

WHAT'S ON

* The Big Feastival, a celebration of music, food and fun, presented by Jamie Oliver and Alex James from tomorrow until Sunday. 
* Towersey Festival is running from tomorrow until Monday at the Thame Showground with acoustic, folk and blues music. 
* Woodstock Live festival from Saturday to Sunday with a packed line-up on stage. 
* Uffington White Horse Show will be running from Sunday to Monday near Faringdon, with a stunt pilot circus and dog display. 
* Wantage Carnival will be running in the Market Place on Sunday, featuring rides, food and stalls. 
* Blenheim Palace Festival of Transport takes place on Sunday and Monday.