How to become cycle friendly - Cycle Tourism Revolution webinar 5

This webinar will be introduced by Sir Richard FitzHerbert bt of Tissington Hall and chair of Visit Peak District & Derbyshire.

During this webinar, we will highlight the key attributes that mark out a destination or partner business as being truly ‘cycling friendly’ and highlight some of the latest cycling tourism developments. We will hear from both a small and large business that set out to exceed leisure cycling customers’ expectations.

We will be joined by Helen Illingworth business owner from the Yorkshire Bridge Inn.

Helen Illingworth is one of the owners at the family run Yorkshire Bridge Inn. The pub is located near to Ladybower Reservoir and the area is extremely popular with walkers and cyclists. Helen worked with Pedal Peak for Business project to come up with a number of initiatives which are now established within the business including a bike repair station, secure storage facilities and water station. Cyclists using the inn may just be passing by, or could be staying overnight and bringing their bikes. They also host cycling teams which regularly use the inn as a base for cycling events in the High Peak.

We'll also hear from Myles Mellor, head of marketing and digital at Peak Venues about small steps they’ve taken to welcome cyclists and how being cycle-friendly benefits their business.

We will also hear from Stuart Dainton, Head of Land Management and Estates at the National Forest Company, who is responsible for the management of the property, one of the UK’s most successful regeneration projects which turned the landscape from black to green. Stuart will talk about the Heart of the Forest plans and ambitions to improve cycling and walking facilities, in the context of a sustainable visitor economy.

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.