Developing
Cycle Tourism
Develop Cycle Tourism In Your
Community
Become A Bicycle Touring Destination
This is from our latest study
"Cycle Tourism Assessment and Strategy"
for Ontario Regional Tourism Organization 8 - Northumberland, Peterborough and
Kawartha Lakes. Click here for the complete study.
Cycling tourists can be divided into different market segments in a number of
different ways. The following describes four different types described by
demographic, frequency, distance, speed, motivation and preferred location.
These groups all need to be considered in the development of a cycling tourism
strategy. Considering all of these groups, the ability to provide cycling
trails as well as safe on road routes wherever possible has the broadest appeal
for cyclists.
Occasional
Demographic: Young adults, families with children and mature adults.
May ride with friends or family including children.
Frequency: Ride sporadically or only a few times per year.
Distance: Short distances up to an hour or two.
Speed: Ride close to walking speed with frequent stops.
Less than 20 kilometers per hour.
Motivation: Fitness, fun, family and social activity.
Preferred Location: Paths or sidewalks close to home or cottage, parks or
recreational areas.
Negatives: Riding with motor vehicles and hills.
Short Distance Riders
Demographic: Mature adults and retirees. May ride with family, friends, group or solo.
Frequency: Regular weekly to monthly rides.
Distance: Day ride distances of 30 to 40 kilometers [20 to 25 miles].
Speed: Just above walking speed with frequent stops, 20 to 25 kilometers per hour.
Motivation: Ride for fitness and social or family connection.
Preferred Location: Rail trails, paths or roads with low volumes of motor
vehicle traffic. Mostly near home with occasional longer group trips. Go on
organized rides including internationally with arrangements for bicycles,
accommodation and luggage.
Negatives: Hilly rides and roads with motor vehicle traffic particularly where
there are no paved shoulders.
Travel Accommodation: Often prefer to stay in affordable accommodation – economical
motels and restaurants.
Long Distance Riders
Demographic: Mature adults and retirees. Ride with grown up children, family,
group or solo.
Frequency: Ride frequently, weekly to monthly rides.
Distance: Day ride distances of 65 to 100 kilometers [40 to 60 miles] or more.
Speed: Usually ride at top speed with few stops, 25 to 30 kilometers per hour.
Motivation: Ride for fitness and joy of the experience.
Preferred Location: Well-maintained trails and paved roads with low volumes
of motor vehicle traffic and paved shoulders. Enjoy rolling topography.
Go on multi-day rides solo or with others close to home or on a cycling vacation.
May travel internationally for rides that provide desired experience.
Negatives: Find trails boring or too busy with other users.
Travel Accommodation: Accommodation and meals to match budget, sometimes the
best available.
Competitive Riders
Demographic: Young to mature adults with group or solo.
Frequency: Ride regularly to train and maintain fitness level.
Distance: Day ride distances of 100 to 160 kilometers [60 to 100 miles] or more.
Speed: Generally ride at top speed stopping only when necessary, 30 kilometers per hour or more.
Motivation: Ride for fitness and joy of experience, competitive challenge.
Preferred Location: Paved roads with low motor vehicle traffic and good paved
shoulders. Multi-day rides solo or with others - particularly club rides.
Challenging rides in terms of distance and hills.
Negatives: Trails are generally not suitable since they have other slow moving
users and not designed for fast bicycling.
Travel Accommodation: Generally affordable accommodation for groups, college
residences, budget motels or camping.
CHARACTERISTICS
OF BICYCLE TOURISTS
(Exclusive Data Based On Bike ON Tours Customer Survey)
- primarily age 30 to 55; in
our research it was found that 44% are age 30 to 45, 33% are age 46 to
55, 6% are age 56 to 65 and 17% are under age 30.
- professional - white collar jobs
most with annual incomes of over $60 000; in our research it
was found that 47% had annual incomes of $60 000. to $80 000.,18% had
annual incomes of over $80 000.,12% had annual incomes of $40 000. to
$60 000. and 23% had incomes under $40 000.
- enjoy eating out, canoeing, camping,
hiking, theatre, shopping, museums/historic sites, water
sports/swimming/beaches; our research found these to be the
most popular interests in declining order of frequency while
other interests mentioned include sight seeing, golfing, skiing and
walking
WHAT WILL ATTRACT
THEM
- bicycle friendly streets and paths - wide
enough for bicycles and other users
- access to scenic roads, natural areas,
waterfront, cultural and historic attractions
- good restaurants
- accommodation with a hearty breakfast either
provided or nearby
- bicycle repair shops and other interesting
stores
- adequate and secure bicycle parking
- theatre, music and arts festivals
- route maps and effective advertising
This
information from the above mentioned studies and reports may be reprinted
provided that notice is given by
E MAIL
to info@bikeontours.on.ca
and provided that the following is included:
"Reprinted courtesy of Bike ON Tours- Ontario Canada-
Route Guides For Bicycle Touring- Consulting-
http://www.bikeontours.on.ca"
SIGNIFICANT
ECONOMIC IMPACT FROM
MULTI-USE TRAIL DEVELOPMENT....
The
Trans Canada Trail Foundation
had an economic impact study prepared which
included trail construction, expenditures of users, maintenance costs
and expenditures on equipment associated activities associated with
trail use.
An estimated 42,000 Ontario jobs would be related to the Trans Canada
Trail with
$2.4 billion in value added income annually - $152.8 million of this
from non-local users. $1.04 billion of tax income would be generated
annually.
The study concluded that "there are significant opportunities to be
realized and many ongoing economic benefits can occur as a result of a
well established, well marketed and well supported Trans Canada trail
in Ontario."
BICYCLE TOURISM IS ON TARGET FOR
TOURISM TRENDS....
In a lecture on October 28, 1997 in London ON Canada sponsored by
Tourism
London Peter McGugan, leading international trend tracking consultant,
speaker
said that bicycle tourism is on target for the
current tourism trends of nostalgia,
escape to the sweet safe past, historic tourism and ecotourism.
Tourists
are looking for a unique different vacation which is individualized and
well
organized so that it is easy and hassle free according to McGugan.
He
suggested adding features which would make bicycle touring a unique
experience
such as visiting a farm or a cheese factory, arranging farmhouse style
meals
or having gourmet picnics along the way.
BICYCLE TOURISM IS BEING PROMOTED IN
SOME AREAS....
In Adirondack North
Country, New York a planning process was begun in
1997 to make
the region a "premier bicycle touring destination".
Goals were
developed for five years including working with county and state
highway
departments to improve shoulder widths and bicycling
conditions, developing a bicycling
promotion campaign
and creating a bikeways map showing
on road trails, trailheads
for mountain biking and retail stores serving cyclists.
BICYCLE TOURISM PROVIDES ECONOMIC
BENEFITS AND IS SET FOR MAJOR
GROWTH....
La Route
Verte, Quebec is the subject of an extensive reports
including
information on building the route; route users and their spending;
economic
spin-offs and projected growth in use of the route. Spending by
cyclists in Québec totaled over $166 million in 2000 and
$95.4 million of that was spent
by Route Verte cyclists. This corresponds to approximately 2,000 jobs
(person years) and revenues of $15.1 million for the Government of
Québec and $11.9 million for the Government of Canada.
Québec’s athletic cyclotourists spend most (57%)
of the money associated with the use of the Route Verte, or a total of
$54.6 million. People who live near the Route Verte also spend a
considerable amount of money
on Route Verte related activities — over $24.5 million.
The annual number of trips generated is estimated to be 16,700 for out
of province tourists and 26,400 for domestic tourists with expenditures
of $40. to $60. per
trip - 57% for food and lodging, 18% for transportation, 15% for
entertainment
services and 12 % for other products and services.
It is
anticipated that cycling tourism will experience major growth
over the
next few years, based on several trends. In the Netherlands and Denmark
cycling tours represent close to twenty
per cent of all itinerant
tourism. The number of cycling
tour agencies in the United
States has increased from a dozen in the 1980's to over a hundred.
Also the 35 to 45 age group are seeking
some adventure on their
holidays with activities such as nature related tours and cycling.
TOURISTS ARE WHITE COLLAR AND USE ALL
TYPES OF
ACCOMMODATION....
The European Cyclists
Federation provides criteria for cycle friendly catering
establishments
and accommodation. The paper points out that while cyclists
are not
an homogenous group, many are age 25 to 49, there
is a high proportion of children accompanying adults and most
are middle ranking and senior white collar workers. It also
states that cyclists use all types of accommodation
from camping to 5 star hotels and rely on cafes
and restaurants along
the route for supplies.
