Press release -
Riding high!
A combination of the “Danny MacAskill effect” and the major biking events in 2015 means the future is looking bright for cycling in Scotland, according to the national tourism organisation.
Since MacAskill’s film The Ridge, which was part-funded by VisitScotland, was published online, the incredible video has been viewed over 26 million times on YouTube.
Skye Adventure, the company which provided its extensive knowledge and experience of mountain guiding in the Cuillins, has seen an incredible 20% rise in bookings since the video went live.
With beautiful country landscapes, seascapes, towns and cities, the National Cycle Network and top-quality mountain biking facilities, cycling in Scotland is proving very popular.
7stanes, a series of seven mountain biking areas located in the forests of Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders, welcomed more than half a million visitors in 2013, with day visitors on average spending £10-19 and overnight visitors spending £32-49.
VisitScotland research also showed that domestic visitors to Scotland, who take part in mountain biking or cycling, on average stay over two million nights and spend £109 million each year.
VisitScotland is continuing to provide significant investment through directorate EventScotland towards events that raise the profile of cycling in Scotland. These include, The Tour of Britain, the Fort William Mountain Bike World Cup and TweedLove Bike Festival.
Throughout 2014, EventScotland supported a number of mass-participation cycling events including the Tour o’ the Borders, Ride the North and Etape Loch Ness.
The estimated economic impact of Tweedlove and Tour o’ the Borders was £1.7 million.
In November, the VisitScotland Conference Bid Fund helped support the Scottish Mountain Biking Conference 2014 – International Edition. The event at Peebles Hydro generated an estimated £250,000 for the economy and was attended by more than 200 mountain biking experts.
Malcolm Roughead, VisitScotland Chief Executive, said:
“Scotland has a global reputation for cycling and in the UK alone it is estimated that there are 11 million people who own a mountain bike. From cycling tours around the incredible Highlands to mountain biking in the Scottish Borders and Dumfries & Galloway, there is a huge opportunity for Scottish tourism.
“The Ridge took cycling in Skye to a global audience, and with our endless miles of forest tracks, cycle trails, country paths and top-quality facilities, we need to continue to show the world why Scotland is the place to jump on a bike.”
Matt Barratt, Mountain Guide at Skye Adventure, said:
“The Ridge really showed just how amazing the scenery in The Highlands is, and whatever level of outdoor adventure you are after, whether it’s out riding mountains like Danny or something a bit closer to the ground, you’ll find it in Scotland!”
Mandy Layden, 7stanes CIC Development Manager said:
“7stanes has something to offer to all riders, from beginners to expert. Bikers/families looking for trails with breathtaking scenery to adrenaline junkies that are looking to be challenged on more technical trails”.
“With Glentress being quoted – as a ‘Mountain Biking Mecca’ by Lonely Planet’s Ultimate Adventures and the other stanes having something different to offer, Dumfries & Galloway and the Scottish Borders should be top of your to do list”.
For more information, go to:
Cycling in Scotland: http://www.visitscotland.com/see-do/activities/cycling/
Mountain biking in Scotland: http://www.visitscotland.com/see-do/activities/mountain-biking/
For further information contact:
Jack Gorman
Corporate Press Officer
Tel: 0131 472 2283
jack.gorman@visitscotland.com
Out of hours media enquiries: 07699 766986
Topics
- Tourism
Categories
- sportstourism
- corporate communications
Regions
- Scotland
Notes to Editors:
- Follow us on twitter: @visitscotnews
- VisitScotland is Scotland’s national tourism organisation. Its core purpose is to maximise the economic benefit of tourism to Scotland.
- The organisation has three key roles:
- To market Scotland to all parts of the world to attract visitors
- To provide information – and inspiration – to visitors and potential visitors so they get the best out of a visit to Scotland
- To provide quality assurance to visitors and quality advice to the industry and partners to help the industry meet and strive to exceed customer expectations
- VisitScotland works together with tourism businesses to make tourism a success for everyone and ensure the industry continues to grow.
- The organisation employs 700 people and has offices and VisitScotland Information Centres across Scotland.
- 2014 is the year Scotland welcomes the world, when it hosts the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles and more than 800 Homecoming events throughout the country.For more information on Homecoming Scotland 2014, go to www.visitscotland.com
- The VisitScotland Information Centre network is a unique face-to-face channel engaging with around five million visitors and locals each year. Everyone who uses a VisitScotland Information Centre goes on to spend an additional £5.35, generating over £24 million for Scotland’s economy.
- According to a recent Deloitte study, tourism employs 270,000 people in Scotland in 20,000 diverse businesses. The same study calculates that the industry contributes £11 billion annually (direct and indirect impact, including day visits) and supports around 10 per cent of employment in Scotland. Almost 16 million tourists take overnight trips to Scotland.
- Where possible, a Gaelic speaker will be made available for broadcast interviews on request (Far an tèid iarraidh, agus far am bheil sin nar comas, bruidhinnidh neach le Gàidhlig aig agallamh)
- For holiday information on Scotland go to www.visitscotland.com
- For information about business tourism in Scotland go to www.conventionscotland.com
- For more information on VisitScotland’s annual review please go to www.visitscotland.org/about_us/our_focus/annual_report.aspx
