Attracting Leisure and Recreational Bicyclists - By Maria Rasouli

Attracting Leisure and Recreational Bicyclists Maria Rasouli, Founder and Operator maria@escapebicycletours.ca 1-888-667-2012 Escape Bicycle Tours www.escapebicycletours.ca March 4th 2016

About Escape Bicycle Tours We are an outdoor touring company specializing in leisure and recreational cycling adventures to rural and urban destinations.

Our mission is to create a profitable, environmentallyfriendly business that promotes bicycling as a healthy, fun, and social physical exercise. We provide personalized service to leisure bicyclists (tourists, locals, and companies) to help them discover the beauty, history, and culture of the Ottawa/Gatineau Region through all-inclusive bicycle tour packages.

About Escape Bicycle Tours Our vision is to promote sustainable tourism, which nurtures a respect for nature and introduces both tourists and locals to the richness of nature, history and culture in the Ottawa/Gatineau region.

2014: Pilot and Market research year 2015: Public roll out

Cycling in Ottawa- The National Capital Region • With over 600 kilometers of designated bicycle paths along the Ottawa River, the Canal, and through parks, farms and wooded areas, the National Capital Region presents a tremendous opportunity for the growth of cycle tourism.

• Despite this richness of opportunity, cycling has not reached its full potential in Ottawa, nor the popularity enjoyed in Northern Europe .

• In the 2013 Ottawa Cycling Plan (OCP2013), the City laid out a long-term and comprehensive strategy to develop, strengthen, and support a cycling culture in Ottawa.

Tourism Climate in Ontario Level

Percent Change

2012

2013p

2014f

2015f

2016f

2017f

Total visitors coming to Ontario

141,680

3.5%

0.4%

1.9%

1.6%

2.1%

Ontario Residents

121,490

4.2%

0.2%

1.6%

1.4%

2.0%

Other Provinces

6,302

4.3%

3.9%

3.8%

3.2%

3.2%

United States

11,691

-3.4%

-0.6%

2.8%

2.1%

1.9%

Overseas

2,196

2.7%

7.6%

10.0%

6.5%

8.1%

Total Expenditures ($million)

22,321

4.4%

6.4%

6.3%

6.0%

7.3%

Ontario Residents

13,809

5.6%

3.4%

3.3%

3.3%

4.1%

Other Provinces

2,262

2.6%

-1.9%

-2.9%

3.5%

9.6%

United States

3,338

-0.1%

10.9%

14.2%

8.4%

8.3%

Overseas

2,912

5.0%

22.3%

16.4%

14.7%

15.4%

Our target market • The majority of visitors coming to Ottawa for pleasure or visiting family and relatives – 5.5 million out of over 9 million visitors in 2012

• The majority of visitors are between the ages of 35 and 65+.

– Close to 6 million out of those 9 million in 2012

Our Concept “Bicycling should not be reserved only for those who are trained, fit and daring enough."

“Cycling safety on Bikeways vs. Roads,” John Pucher, Transportation Quarterly, Vol. 55, No. 4, 2001

• Sightseeing on a Bicycle • Escape tours are as easy as “show up and ride”.

Our Target Market + Concept

Our Target Market + Concept

Strategies • Business Development and Partnership – Tourism Ottawa – Hotels – Museums – Tourism business partners (Spa, Boat Cruise, Walking Tour)

• Marketing – Online • TripAdvisor, Social Media

– Media

Successes so far • Rated as one of the top 2 out of 37 tours and activities in Ottawa on TripAdvisor with 102 reviews and a 5 start rating.

• Escape has 374 facebook likes and 95 Twitter followers (@biketoursottawa) and actively engages its facebook viewers and twitter followers in the daily tours during the tour season by posting pictures of every tour.

• Escape bicycle tour has received 12 local, provincial and international media coverage • The founder was one of the 3 winners of the City of Ottawa’s Immigrant Entrepreneurship Award in 2015

Challenges • Seasonal nature of the business • Time for business development vs. operation time • Newness and credibility • And many more …

• But we love what do

Current Opportunities and Priorities • Packaging • Partnership with similar businesses in nearby cities (Toronto, Montreal) • Tapping into the local market – Schools – Companies

Thank you!

Discussion and Questions