Developing Cycling Routes: Developing Cycling Routes: The nuts & bolts The nuts & bolts

A presentation byA presentation by Ted Liddle: Ted Liddle: CycleTRAXCycleTRAX & &

Tyne Valley MTBTyne Valley MTB

Leisure cycling

Or ‘free time’

cycling

A

On-road cycling

BOff-road cycling

CSport

cycling

Leisure cyclingLeisure cycling

Mountain bikingMountain biking

There are 3 types of Cycle Tourist:

Touring cyclists on linear / circular routes with a minimum of one overnight stay

Cyclists who cycle once or twice during a holiday

'Day' cyclists including cycling event participants

There are 3 principal strands There are 3 principal strands to Cycle Route Development:to Cycle Route Development: Creating high quality routes: Creating high quality routes: Cycle Cycle

Tourism linear or loop routes Tourism linear or loop routes

Managing the experience: 'customer Managing the experience: 'customer care' care'

Unlocking the potential: Unlocking the potential: Linking the Linking the 'customer' with service-providers for 'customer' with service-providers for mutual gainmutual gain

There are 5 elements of There are 5 elements of Managing the experienceManaging the experience

SIGNAGE:SIGNAGE: signing quality correlates with 'on signing quality correlates with 'on route' SPENDroute' SPEND

MAPS:MAPS: the route in a package (the concept - the the route in a package (the concept - the tour - the memory - the trophy)tour - the memory - the trophy)

MARKETING:MARKETING: if a product is not seen in the if a product is not seen in the market place then it is not IN the market placemarket place then it is not IN the market place

MONITORINGMONITORING: : you can't improve or manage what you can't improve or manage what you don't understand or know about you don't understand or know about

MAINTENANCE:MAINTENANCE: low on recognition / high on low on recognition / high on impact / key to 'managing the experience'impact / key to 'managing the experience'

There are 5 types of cycle There are 5 types of cycle route SPEND route SPEND

Pre-route:Pre-route: maps, clothing, equipment, advance maps, clothing, equipment, advance bookings, tour operator, cycle hire etcbookings, tour operator, cycle hire etc

On route:On route: accommodation, meals, refreshment accommodation, meals, refreshment stops, postcards, stamps, snacks etc stops, postcards, stamps, snacks etc

Post route:Post route: T-shirt, certificates, books, further T-shirt, certificates, books, further planned tripsplanned trips

To / from route:To / from route: train, bike taxi etc train, bike taxi etc Charity fundraising:Charity fundraising: sponsorship, corporate sponsorship, corporate

‘donations’ etc‘donations’ etc

There are 2 types of 'visit' There are 2 types of 'visit' SPENDSPEND

PRIMARY VISIT SPEND: PRIMARY VISIT SPEND: Generated Generated from cycling a linear or loop tourfrom cycling a linear or loop tour

  SECONDARY VISIT SPEND: SECONDARY VISIT SPEND: Generated from subsequent centre-Generated from subsequent centre-based multi nights visits – feeling based multi nights visits – feeling welcome & having easy access to welcome & having easy access to local area information is essentiallocal area information is essential

There are 7 types of on route There are 7 types of on route service providerservice provider

Accommodation: Accommodation: B&B’s, hotels, hostels, campsites, B&B’s, hotels, hostels, campsites, self catering, friends & familyself catering, friends & family

Refreshments: Refreshments: Tea rooms, pubs, general stores….Tea rooms, pubs, general stores…. Relevant shops: CRelevant shops: Cycle shops, cycling accessories, ycle shops, cycling accessories,

energy food, clothing, post cards etcenergy food, clothing, post cards etc Visitor attractions:Visitor attractions: On-route attractions (planned On-route attractions (planned

and / or discovered by chance)and / or discovered by chance) Transport: Transport: To / from and duringTo / from and during Cycle holiday support services: Cycle holiday support services: Tour operators, Tour operators,

cycle hire, people & luggage transport cycle hire, people & luggage transport Key support services:Key support services: TICs, loos, cash points, TICs, loos, cash points, medical supportmedical support

ROUTE HARDWAREROUTE HARDWARE is the is the route itself, hard signage, route itself, hard signage,

cycle parking, info panels etccycle parking, info panels etc

ROUTE SOFTWARE ROUTE SOFTWARE is the is the marketing, promotion, marketing, promotion, service provision, route service provision, route management and route management and route

support informatiosupport information n

There are 8 aspects to turn a There are 8 aspects to turn a route into a productroute into a product

Route alignment & infrastructureRoute alignment & infrastructure Route signing (on-road) Route signing (on-road)

Waymarking (off-road)Waymarking (off-road) Route support infrastructureRoute support infrastructure Business training, support & engagementBusiness training, support & engagement Cycle route mappingCycle route mapping WebsiteWebsite Route monitoring Route monitoring (basic)(basic) Sustainable route management Sustainable route management

The cycle tourism cycle The cycle tourism cycle

The benefits far outweigh the cost of implementation

Organisational support Organisational support is is required – not just required – not just

physical outputphysical output

There are 3 key success There are 3 key success factors which attract cycle factors which attract cycle

tourists tourists

Safe and continuous routes Safe and continuous routes

Pleasant countryside and cyclist-friendly Pleasant countryside and cyclist-friendly villages (and cities)  villages (and cities) 

Clear and reliable signage and Clear and reliable signage and interpretation interpretation

(Eurovelo 2013)(Eurovelo 2013)

High standards! High standards!

QualityQuality is everything is everything

The The total experience total experience is the measure is the measure

FeedbacFeedback is now paramountk is now paramount

A A good reputation good reputation is invaluable is invaluable

We all remember what happened to We all remember what happened to

Dr Gloucester!Dr Gloucester!

In the Scottish Borders, In the Scottish Borders, the 7 Stanes project the 7 Stanes project is now in is now in its seventh year. The seven Forestry Commission sites its seventh year. The seven Forestry Commission sites now average 550,000 day bike visits per year of which now average 550,000 day bike visits per year of which 400,000 are to Glentress & Innerleithen bringing £9m 400,000 are to Glentress & Innerleithen bringing £9m

into the local economy. As a result, some 3000 new jobs into the local economy. As a result, some 3000 new jobs have been created. have been created.

www.tourism-intelligence.co.uk

In In the South West of England the South West of England day & staying cyclists day & staying cyclists spend £3.6m on both spend £3.6m on both the Camel Trail the Camel Trail (400,000+ (400,000+

users) and users) and Tarka TrTarka Trail (28km and 48km) for cyclists in ail (28km and 48km) for cyclists in Cornwall but this is thought to be a significant under-Cornwall but this is thought to be a significant under-estimate perhaps by a factor of 3. Combined, the two estimate perhaps by a factor of 3. Combined, the two trails sustain 60 FTE jobs and sustain many more in trails sustain 60 FTE jobs and sustain many more in part. part. http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=13405

The Sandstone Way The Sandstone Way shows the wayshows the way

…….and there’s more in the .and there’s more in the pipelinepipeline

Thank youThank you

Any questions?Any questions?