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Cycling at the Seaside
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CYCLING AS A LEISURE ACTIVITY Cycling is one of the most popular leisure activities in Britain and more than 2 million people cycle on a regular basis. Furthermore, many people enjoy cycling when on holiday (an activity known as ‘cycle tourism’, ‘bicycling tourism’ or ‘holiday cycling’). In 2014, 2.1 million people in the UK went cycling when on a domestic holiday and the cycling holidays market is currently worth around £3 billion. The seaside is a popular destination for cycling: around 290,000 holiday trips (and over 2 million day visits) to the seaside include cycling.
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MARKET CHARACTERISTICS There is an important distinction is between ‘cycling holidays’ and ‘holiday cycling’. For enthusiasts cycling is the primary focus of their holiday and they will aim to spend most of their days cycling (often on challenging routes). For others, holiday cycling is a more leisurely pursuit. Leisure cyclists will travel shorter distances, at a slower pace, and may combine cycling with a range of other activities (such as sightseeing or visiting attractions). Some cycling holidays involve staying in a destination and taking different cycling routes from that destination each day. For others the holiday involves travelling each day to a new destination. Some cyclists may arrange their own cycling holidays while others may choose organised cycling holiday ‘packages’ (and there are many companies which offer such packages for cyclists of differing abilities and requirements). Overall, cycling on holiday has a greater appeal to the AB and C1 social groups. While cycling as a leisure activity is popular with a broad range of age groups, cycling on holiday appeals most to younger people. These include both pre-family groups (who enjoy challenge, adventure and memorable experiences) and family groups (who require slower and safer cycling). Cycling holidays and holiday cycling also appeal more to people with a concern for the environment and a desire to live sustainably (and here the concept of ‘slow cycling’ overlaps with ‘slow tourism’).
All cyclists value reliable and comprehensive information about the cycling opportunities in their destination (particularly information about routes of different length and difficulty). They will value accommodation which can recommend good routes or places to stop and eat. They may also want to obtain spare parts and so will prefer destinations where there are good bike shops. Those people who cannot bring their own bikes with them will look for local opportunities to hire a bike in their destination. WHAT ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES?
WHAT DO CYCLISTS WANT?
Cycling holidays is a market that is forecast to grow by 10-15% in future years – and this represents a big opportunity for seaside towns to promote themselves as destinations for cycling. Every seaside town is potentially a base for cycling holidays – particularly since most are connected to the National Cycle Network (a 14,000 mile network of off-road cycle paths or quiet on-road cycling). Cycle tourists tend to have above average incomes and represent an attractive new market for seaside towns. They also contribute more to the local economy than other types of tourist since they prefer locally-owned accommodation, and frequently stop for food and drink in independently owned cafes and pubs. Cycling holidays are less seasonal than other types of seaside tourism: in particular, pre-family groups like to take holidays outside the peak summer season so that cyclists represent an opportunity to increase shoulder-season business. Cycling events are increasingly popular, in particularly cyclosportives, charity rides and beginners rides – and every seaside town is potentially the starting or finishing point of a cycling event.
Cyclists will look for comfortable, cycle-friendly accommodation where they can relax at the end of a hard day’s cycling. Since many cyclists own very expensive bikes they will insist on somewhere safe to store their bikes overnight. They will also appreciate the opportunity to wash down their bikes and somewhere to dry wet clothes. They welcome accommodation which can provide a packed lunch or sell emergency spare parts. Since holiday cyclists tend to be younger they will insist on wi-fi in their accommodation, but familes will also prioritise value-for-money. Serious cyclists are usually happy to cycle on roads, but families will look for a network of safer (and preferably off-road) cycle paths in their destination. They will want good places (which are cycle-friendly) to stop for lunch and refill water bottles. They will also look for good places to eat and drink at the end of a hard day’s cycling. Families and leisure cyclists may also require wet weather attractions if the weather is not suitable for cycling. 2
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Sector Guide: Families
Ways it can make a difference to your business........................
1. C AN YOUR ACCOMMODATION OFFER SECURE STORAGE FOR BICYCLES OVERNIGHT? This is unquestionably the most important thing that cyclists require from their accommodation. 2. CAN YOUR ACCOMMODATION CATER FOR THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF CYCLISTS? Can you cater for your cycling guests who may want to leave early or arrive late? Can you offer them a pack lunch? And can you keep some bicycle spares on hand in case of emergency? 3. D OES YOUR ACCOMMODATION PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT LOCAL CYCLE ROUTES? Cyclists will welcome reliable information about local cycle routes of differing lengths and difficulties. Can you keep a selection of local leaflets, guides or maps handy to give to your cyclist guests? 4. IS YOUR CAFÉ, RESTAURANT OR PUB CYCLE-FRIENDLY? Cyclists like to stop for lunch along their journey and will favour places that offer secure cycle racks and free refills of water bottles. 5. IS YOUR ATTRACTION CYCLE-FRIENDLY? Leisure cyclists may make cycling to an attraction the focus of their day’s journey. Is your attraction welcoming for visitors who arrive by bike? Do you provide convenientlylocated cycle racks for them? 6. COULD YOUR DESTINATION DEVELOP AN APP SPECIFICALLY FOR CYCLISTS? Such an app could include details of local cycling routes (with maps) of different lengths and difficulty; the local of bike shops; and details of cycle-friendly cafes, pubs and attractions. 7. DOES YOUR DESTINATION’S WEBSITE HAVE A LIST OF CYCLISTFRIENDLY ACCOMMODATION? This is one way to position your destination as being cycle-friendly. 8. C OULD YOUR DESTINATION DEVELOP A LOCAL NETWORK OF THEMED CYCLING TRAILS? Such themes could include coastal landforms, piers or seaside heritage, or link your town with neighbouring resorts. 9. COULD YOUR DESTINATION DO MORE TO PROMOTE CYCLING EVENTS? Even if your destination already has an active events programme have you considered the possibilities of cycling events as a way to attract new visitors to your town? 10. IS YOUR BUSINESS MAKING THE MOST OF THE INTERNET AND SOCIAL MEDIA TO ENGAGE WITH CYCLISTS? Younger cycling tourists are prolific users of the internet and social media.
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Sector Guide: Cycling Holidays at the Seaside
CASE STUDIES OF GOOD PRACTICE The Ivanhoe Guest House in Bridlington www.ivanhoeguesthouse.co.uk A cyclist-friendly B&B. Guests praised it for its comfortable rooms and good breakfasts, plus good storage facilities for bike, and hosts with excellent knowledge of cycling opportunities in the local area. WHERE TO GET HELP AND FURTHER INFORMATION •
See Bournemouth Council’s Cycle Tourism Toolkit
www.gettingabout.co.uk/Cycling/Bournemouth-Cycle-Tourism-Toolkit.pdf
See the National Coastal Tourism Academy website _ www.coastaltourismacademy.co.uk For a wide range of further information and resources
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