Transcript Document

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Mountain Biking Tourism – key facts
• Tourism due to Mountain biking (MB) : £46.5 m p.a, wider value
is £119m
• Set for significant growth of over 30% in next 5 years
• Total number of MB visitors is 1.3 million; purpose built bike
centres attract 592,000 visits a year.
•22.5% stay overnight. Scots stay 2.1 nts, other UK 4.4 nts.
•On average, MT bikers make 6-7 visits to built centres p.a, of
which 4-5 are day visits
•7Stanes currently dominates: 69% of all visits to
built centres
• FCS manages approx. 1300 kms cycling/MTB trails.
Mountain Biking Tourism – Scotland’s assets &
capabilities
• Quality and Quantity of purpose built, MTB tracks
• Progressive access legislation
• Growing number of bike related businesses & expertise
• Strong brand identity of 7-Stanes provides awareness
• High profile international events
• Potential for packages with other tourism offers: Year of
Natural Scotland
• CWG 2014, Cathkin Braes
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Evidence of investment and growth
• UCI MTB World Cup, Fort William: 20,000 visitors
• FCS continues to invest: £8.5m at Glentress Fell in the Tweed
Valley Forest Park
• Glencoe: new red track in 2012 – trebled visitors!
• BikeTrax skills loop - Highland Safaris, Aberfeldy.
• Comrie Croft – new tracks in 2012 and 2013
• Tomintoul – tracks, 10 + 19 kms, Crown Estate. £0.5m
• Cathkin Braes Trail….
Mountain Biking Tourism – weaknesses &
constraints
• Provision seen as specialist – need to make things easier
• Dependence on cars to access sites
• Growing competition from other areas
• Challenge in funding new routes to protect market share
• Reinvestment in existing trails
• Health & safety?
• Lack of co-ordination between mountain biking trails and
tourism businesses
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Tips to tap in to the markets:
Specialist
MB key driver for visit – MTB is core part
of trip
Looking for top class biking facilities
Leisure
Destination is key driver for visit – MTB is
part of holiday experience
Looking for other activities to do
Bring own bike and equipment
Will need to hire equipment
Top
tips
tap into
the market: May need encouragement, info on trails
Seeking
the to
ultimate
experience
• Know what trail grades your local centres offer so you can advise your visitors. Have
their literature to hand. Or advise/refer to accommodation providers.
•Use spectacular scenery and MTB images on your web site and brochure. Or great food
and other activities
• Mountain biking is year-round. Can you use it to promote your business in the off-season?
• What businesses could you partner to offer visitors an exciting package?
• The specialist market does need some facilities – but not expensive adaptations.
Cycle Highlands, Deeside
• Expanded from initial rental business.
• Corporate market: collaborates with event and sponsorship
organisers to exploit.
• Collaborate with other activity providers to x-promote.
• Work closely with hotels/B & Bs – drop-off and pick-up of rental
bikes. Added value for both sides.
• Has developed a route map which he retails.
• Arranges own MTB event, and gets involved
in those run by others.
• “Growth is polarised: serious bikers (DIY)
but also families.”
Top tourism trends - mountain biking
• The family market – parents with school age kids.
• “Active ageing” - older visitors, but young at heart. Fitter. Much
travelled.
• People are searching for new experiences to enrich their lives – “being
and doing” not necessarily “having”
• Rising expectations of quality- but need added value and deals/offers
• Visitors appreciate authenticity, “real” Scotland, explore nature
• MTB visitors undertake other outdoor activities – and v-v.
• MTB visitors shop, eat, drink, party, go to festivals….and may visit
more than one trail centre on a trip.
• Activity, Health and wellbeing
• Growing awareness of green & ethical issues.
• ABTA research: Younger travellers are taking more
holidays: 4-5 breaks
• Social media important
Accommodation providers - think about
• How is your post-biking experience?
• Bike security?
• Pictures and testimonials on your website.
• Other local information: activities, attractions, eating out.
• Transport for visitors and their bikes
• Weather updates
• Provide relevant reading
• Flexible meal times, packed lunches, energy foods/drinks
• Bike rental made easy: pick-up
And the basics:
• Wifi
• Use appropriate imagery in publicity.
• Provide relevant links and contact info on your website.
To recap…
- Growing market for MTB - Scotland is world class!
- Core market remains male 18-40 but families, older people
and females increasing
- Refer to specialist operators for instruction and guiding.
- Events can raise profile
- Info on local trails, centres and shops
- Facilities: Bike washing, clothes drying, repair.
- Interesting things to do off the bike!
- Collaborate with others – all sorts of others!
Workshop session