A TOURISM tax and rules about where walking groups can and can't walk in Oxford could be introduced to deal with growing numbers of visitors.

Changes to coach parking locations could also be considered after Oxford City Council said economic growth had brought about its own 'challenges'.

Council leader Bob Price said 'guidance on where groups can walk in larger numbers' was being considered.

The Liberal Democrat group has urged the Labour-led council to develop a 'tourism policy', which could see a potential hotel tax brought back to the table.

Lib dem councillor Liz Wade said: "Oxford is a world-famous city, it is the eleventh fastest-growing city in the UK ,but is still small in size – currently 161,000 residents.

"Oxford, not forgetting Bicester Village, is an easy destination, but it already receives seven million tourists each year which puts a strain on the goodwill of the local population and on the fabric of the city."

Mrs Wade added that the city was not immune to the same concerns raised in cities such as Venice and Barcelona, which have seen anti-tourism marches.

Earlier this year the city council agreed to join Camden, Westminster, Bath, Birmingham, Brighton, Edinburgh and Cornwall in lobbying the Government for the power to introduce a tourism tax.

It could see visitors forced to pay an extra £1 or £2 per night, which would go towards tourism improvements and street cleaning.

The Lib Dem's tourism policy will be discussed by the council later this month and the group has asked the council to commission a report on introducing the tax.

A report published this month by tourism board Experience Oxfordshire revealed more than £2bn was spent by visitors in the county in 2016 – 41 per cent in Oxford itself.

With the opening of the new Westgate Centre last month, the number of visitors and amount spent is now expected to climb further still.

Oxford City Council leader Bob Price admitted the city's successful economic growth would bring about 'challenges'.

He said: "The opening of Westgate and the plans for two new city centre hotels will cater better than ever for our visitors, but we will have to find better ways of handling the increase in the number of coaches and large walking groups.

"These are the challenges that arise from our success and we are already in discussion with partners about possible solutions."

Mr Price said those solutions could be changing the location of coach parking and guidance on where groups can walk in larger numbers.

Coaches are encouraged to park at Redbridge Park and Ride but there are on-street pick-up and drop-off points in Beaumont Street, outside Oxford Crown Court in St Aldates, and in St Giles.