The cycling pound - Cycle Tourism Revolution webinar 4

In conversation with Richard Weston - Senior Research Fellow at University of Central Lancashire and Dr Graham Clark the National Trust’s Outdoor Experiences Consultant – Cycling and Zsolt Schuller Cyclist Welcome Project Manager National Trust and founder , brand and host of Pannier.cc Stefan Amato.

Learn about the easy steps you can take to ensure your business benefits from the cycling pound, and hear more about how you can secure your share of the fast-growing domestic and international leisure cycling tourism sectors.

Richard will introduce the latest research and highlight the economic growth opportunities that cycle tourism offers businesses across the Peak District & Derbyshire to harness the benefits of this fast growing market.

With leisure cycling tourism worth up to €2.83 billion (€2.29bn day trips + €0.54bn overnight stays) to the UK economy and increasing. Is YOUR business securing its share?

Dr Graham Clark and Zsolt Schuller from the National Trust will introduce the work they are undertaking to welcome cyclists and highlight the opportunities that being cycle-friendly offers.

Carol Parsons, Cycling and Walking Networks Project Officer, Derbyshire County Council (DCC) will give an update on DCC's ambition for the White Peak Loop - an iconic leisure route of more than 86km around the beautiful ‘White Peak’ area of the Derbyshire Peak District.

The Peak District and Derbyshire is one of the UK's most popular cycling destinations and is a key driver of visitors to the destination. With options for road cycling, mountain biking or gentle traffic-free cycle trails, it attracts visitors of all ages from both domestic and international markets.

Cycling tourism offers a diverse market. Germany and the United Kingdom are the largest source markets for cycling tourism, followed by the Netherlands. The demand for this niche market is increasing, partly accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the urge to explore nature. Cycling tourism offers many opportunities, including an experience with the local community, cycling tours using unpaved roads, advertisement via specific cycling-focused media and the new possibilities that come along with e-bikes.

With potential economic benefits this series of webinars will help you to develop product to attract visitors, and how to market these effectively. Cycle tourism can have environmental benefits such as reductions in pollution and traffic congestion, economic regeneration and better health. The UK is in the middle of a cycling boom. Recreational and weekend cycling is up by 60% over the last two years, partly due to the coronavirus pandemic. Sales of bicycles increased dramatically during the Covid-19 lockdown, and councils across the country have begun bolstering their support for cyclists. In England alone, the length of cycling trips rose by 26% between 2019 and 2020, proof that more people than ever are opting for two wheels over four.

Derbyshire has a great cycling offer with over 260 miles of traffic-free cycle routes to explore and plenty of circular cycle trails in Derbyshire for everyone to enjoy, each cyclist will be looking to find cycle friendly businesses to stay with and visit.