A smartphone application designed to help visitors explore a city has launched to boost tourism by pointing holidaymakers towards hidden gems they might otherwise miss.

The Discover App, which has launched in Oxford following a partnership between Oxford City Council and Discover, offers curated suggestions for dining, shopping, and activities throughout the city centre as well as parts of Jericho, Osney, and East Oxford.

Both visitors and residents can use it to find overlooked areas and local businesses.

Councillor Ben Higgins, who serves as cabinet member for future economy and innovation at Oxfordshire County Council, said the county council was delighted to have supported this scheme through money from the Contain Outbreak Management Fund, which was managed by Enterprise Oxfordshire.

He added that the Discover App for Oxford gave visitors to the county and local people a great opportunity to make the most of everything the city has to offer.

The project received part of its funding from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Enterprise Oxfordshire’s Visitor Economy Renaissance Programme.

This £1.64 million initiative was set up to help the region’s tourism sector recover from the pandemic, with additional financial support coming from the government’s Contain Outbreak Management Fund via Oxfordshire County Council.

Helen Ryan-Wallis, who is director of strategic development and programmes at Enterprise Oxfordshire, said she was excited to see Oxford become available on the Discover App and begin seeing this project come to life, helping visitors move around the city.

She explained that tourism forms a significant part of the economy, which benefits Oxfordshire as a whole and enhances residents’ quality of life, so it was vital to keep championing the visitor economy in ways that helped tourists, communities, and businesses alike.

The wider Visitor Economy Renaissance Programme ran from 2022 to 2024 and included provisions such as the Visitor Economy Grant Scheme.

This distributed £840,884 in funding to 52 businesses, along with additional business support to improve the sector’s competitiveness.

The Discover App initiative aligns with key goals in the Oxfordshire Visitor Economy Vision and Destination Management Plan 2023-2028, which was commissioned by Enterprise Oxfordshire as part of the Renaissance Programme.

The app aims to improve digital wayfinding for pedestrians, draw attention to lesser-known areas, and increase visitor flow throughout the city.

Enterprise Oxfordshire, previously operating under the name OxLEP, rebranded on April 1, 2025.

Oxfordshire County Council now acts as its sole company member.

The organisation still focuses on driving economic growth through business support, skills development, investment, and trade services.

It also backs long-term strategies for sustainable economic expansion.