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UNDERSTANDING
CYCLE TOURISTS
By
David Bloy* Sheffield Hallam University.
Cycle
tourism in the UK is now a reality. Already worth £285m
annually, it is a
market
that is set to continue apace in the future, thanks largely to the
opening
of the 10,000-mile National Cycle Network.
Despite
this impressive growth, little is known about the people choosing to
undertake
cycling holidays and even less is known about their reasons for
doing
so. So what are these cycle tourists like and what makes them tick?
And
how
can tourism marketeers and planners successfully attract cycle
tourists?
This
report attempts to answer these questions.
Cycle
tourism in the UK
The
total UK leisure cycling market is estimated to be worth £635
million a year, with
cycle
tourism in general contributing £285 million. Cycle holidays,
where cycling is the
main
purpose of the holiday, account for £142 million of the annual
total (Sustrans,
1999).
Already
a sizeable market, cycle tourism and cycle holidays are predicted to
enjoy
considerable
growth over the coming decade (Keeling, 1999). Much of the predicted
increase
in trade is attributed to the development of the Sustrans-inspired
National
Cycle
Network (NCN). This 10,000-mile countrywide network of cycle-ways
will be
complete
by 2005, and already some 5,000 miles have been opened. Funded in
part by
a
£43.5 million grant from the Millennium Commission, the
National Cycle Network
provides
a level of cycle infrastructure previously not seen in this country.
In
terms of its structure, the NCN is divided into a number of routes,
the longer of
which
have been mapped and given names such as the C2C, Kingfisher Trail
and the
West
Country Way. One of the aims of such mapping and product development
work
has
been to encourage tourist use of the routes.
There
is already some evidence to show that this is starting to pay
dividends. Research
on
the C2C, which runs from Whitehaven to Sunderland, shows the route
accounting
for
annual tourism revenue of approximately £1.5m (Cope &
Doxford, 1998).
In
order to better understand the potential market for such routes, a
number of authors
have
produced reports looking at the characteristics of cycle tourists
(Beioley, 1995;
Lumsdon,
1996; Countryside Commission, 1995; Cope, 1999). Although these are
useful
studies, little work has been conducted into the underlying reasons
why people
undertake
cycling holidays.
It
is in response to this lack of research into cycle tourist
motivations that this paper
details
not only the characteristics of cycle tourists but also their route
choices and
motivations.
What
do we mean by cycle tourists?
For
the purposes of this study, cycle tourists are defined as people who
undertake a self organised holiday that includes at least one
overnight stay and for which cycling is the
main
purpose of the holiday (Countryside Commission, 1989). Those
selecting packaged
cycling
holidays have been excluded on the grounds that this market is
predicted to
remain
significantly smaller than the independently organised sector in the
UK.
Characteristics
of cycle tourists
The
results presented below are based upon a sample of 766 cycle
tourists. The sample
was
derived from people ordering cycle route maps from Sustrans for use
whilst on a
cycling
holiday. A small questionnaire slipped inside the maps was used to
identify
members
of the sample who could be defined as cycle tourists and those
willing to take
part
in further research.
.
Cycle tourists
are far more likely to be male than female.
.
They are
predominately aged 45 and over, with the largest proportion in the
age
range
45 to 59. Tables 1 and 2 outline the results in more detail.
.
Cycle tourists
are likely to have been on a similar holiday previously, as Table 3
illustrates.
The
motivations of cycle tourists
A
series of 11 in-depth interviews was conducted with cycle tourists. A
checklist of
possible
motivations was used as a guide to questioning. The definitions of
motivating
factors
were derived from the previous studies (Crompton, 1979; Tinsley &
Kass, 1979;
Crandall,
1980; Leisure Consultants, 1992; Countryside Commission, 1995;
Simonsen
&
Jorgensen, 1996; Ritchie, 1997; Ryan & Glendon, 1998).
The
motivations to undertake cycling holidays varied, but can be
summarised as
follows:
.
The idea of
challenge is a major driving force.
.
The quality of
the scenery is of primarily importance to cycle tourists, with a
preference
for wild and unpopulated areas.
.
In contrast to
their active nature, cycling holidays are seen as mentally relaxing.
.
Cycle tourists
enjoy getting away from crowds but enjoy the company of others
whilst
cycling.
.
Cycling
holidays are generally not used as a way of getting fit.
.
Exploration is
important, but the pressure of reaching daily destinations means few
visit
specific tourist attractions.
.
Cycling
holidays allow nature to be experienced in a unique way that is
different to
when
walking or driving.
.
Cycling
holidays are often a chance to have a break from family
responsibilities,
with
trips taken with friends rather than family.
.
Cycle tourists
do not consider taking cycling holidays for environmental reasons.
Detailed
results are presented in the following tables, under headings that
relate to the
motivations
contained in the checklist. Also included are short extracts from the
interviews
that typify responses from the interviewees.
FACTOR
.
The concept of
challenge was often cited as a reason given to undertake a cycling
holiday.
There was a high degree of physical challenge, with references to
hills,
climbs
and terrain being given as the source of the challenge.
.
There was also
a more personal expression of the idea of challenge, with cycling
holidays
offering a challenge on other levels, including the overcoming of
illness
and
disability or the effects of ageing.
.
“As
far as I’m concerned it’s a physical challenge, it needs to be
something where,
for
the last couple of hours of the day, it’s a good distance so you
know you’re
going
to be riding a full day.”
A
CHANCE TO GET FIT?
.
Cycling
holidays were not generally seen as a way of getting fit, although
there
was
an acknowledgement that the holiday was physically active. Fitness
was often
quoted
as a reason for cycling per
se, rather than
going on a cycling holiday.
.
“I
enjoy cycling anyway. I like being fit so the idea wasn’t to do
that on holiday, to
get
fit.”
GETTING
TO KNOW AN AREA
.
The chance to
explore an area was important, although a distinction was made
between
exploring an area and exploring specific attractions.
.
Few used
cycling holidays to explore specific attractions or places, it was
more the
serendipity
of coming across places along the route. When probed as to why this
was
so, the pressure to reach daily destinations and/or mileage was
given.
.
“With
the type of mileage we did, it was rare. We did 60 miles a day. We
stopped
a
bit in Caernarfon but it’s difficult when you’ve got bikes... the
weight, all the
stuff
on the bike as well. It was OK to just have a quick ride round
Caernarfon but
it’s
not easy.”
.
“And
if you stop at a café or something, you sit outside just to
keep an eye on the
bike.”
A
CHANCE TO RELAX
.
Despite their
physical nature, cycling holidays were considered relaxing. Some
interviewees
drew a distinction between physically relaxing and mentally relaxing,
considering
cycling to be the latter. Other respondents preferred to describe
them
as
exhilarating and engendering a sense of wellbeing.
.
There was only
moderate agreement that cycling holidays were a ‘get away from
it
all’ holiday.
.
“Any
kind of exercise de-stresses you, you end up getting rid of the
stress doing
anything.
So cycling just takes you out of yourself.”
GETTING
AWAY FROM THE CROWDS
.
Relative
isolation was important for cycling holidays, with getting away from
crowds
being cited in a number of interviews as being important.
.
Interviewees
wanted to experience isolated scenery with other cycle tourists,
rather
than
experience it on their own.
.
“You
never see anybody, we never did... all the roads were completely
empty.”
ENJOYING
THE SCENERY
.
Scenery
featured prominently in descriptions of the best experiences whilst
on
holiday.
The lack of people and the wildness of the scenery were the important
factors
that underlay their enjoyment.
.
“...came
to the top of the hill, turned a corner and there was this beautiful
reservoir,
just... you’d no idea it was up there. It was just out of the blue,
surrounded
by trees and the sun, it was a gorgeous blue sky, the sun came down
and
hit this reservoir and we all stopped and took a photograph.”
THE
UNIQUENESS OF CYCLING
.
Respondents
made reference to the fact that they experienced nature in a
different
way
whilst on a bike. They saw things that they wouldn’t be able to see
if exploring
by
car and went to places they couldn’t get to by other modes of
transport.
.
“You’re
that bit higher, you can see over the hedges, you can see the scenery
– it’s
just
a really nice way to see places. You see far more than any other way.
If you
walk,
what are you going to see? Five-ten miles, that’s it. If you’re
in a car, you pass
through
it and it’s gone.”
DOING
SOMETHING FOR THEMSELVES
.
The sample
reported cycling holidays as being a chance to do something for
themselves.
It was often seen as an escape from their familial role as mother or
father.
.
“I
think the cycling holiday is more for yourself, than it is trying to
make it as
interesting
for other people. You can be very selfish on a cycling holiday. If
someone
is not enjoying it, that’s up to them.”
HAVING
FUN
.
The desire to
have fun was a major factor in the selection of cycling holidays.
Indeed,
it was often an unprompted reason for going on a cycling holiday.
.
Interestingly,
respondents often explained the non-participation of family members
in
cycling holidays in terms of “it wasn’t their idea of fun”.
.
“It
makes you feel pleased with yourself when you’ve done it, but it’s
just good
fun.”
CONSIDERING
THE PRACTICALITIES
.
The desire to
have an inexpensive holiday was not conveyed strongly for any
holidays
that were undertaken. This is despite the fact that cycling holidays
tended
to
be centred around youth hostel or bed and breakfast accommodation,
rather
than
hotels.
.
Of other
rational factors, the ease of access to the cycling holiday was
occasionally
mentioned
as an issue, often because the time available for the holiday was
limited.
.
“...it
was easy, we’ve got a friend in St Bees. Scarborough is not that
far away from
Huddersfield.
It’s kind of relatively easy to get to. So it seemed the natural
thing to
do.”
A
TALKING POINT AMONGST FRIENDS AND FAMILY
.
Cycling
holidays were a great source of discussion with family and friends.
Anecdotes
of challenging experiences often featured in post-holiday
conversations.
Particularly where cycling holidays were taken with friends, the
holiday
remained a topic of discussion throughout the year.
.
“So
it does, yes, get talked of by friends and acquaintances. It’s
almost a
recruitment
package.”
A
‘GREEN’ HOLIDAY?
Even
when prompted, there was little evidence that cycling holidays were
undertaken
because
of their perceived environmental benefits.
.
“I
think sometimes, if you’re not careful, it puts people off because
they think they
are
being sold an environment package, ie you’ll see X numbers of rare
daisies. It’s
not
why people... or not why I’m there.”
.
“...we
are all green-minded but that wasn’t a consideration.”
ENJOYING
THE COMPANY OF OTHERS
.
Enjoying the
company of others whilst cycling was an important aspect of cycling
holidays.
Cycling holidays were generally taken with friends rather than
family.
.
Reasons for the
non-inclusion of family members included absence of an interest
in
cycling, differing standards of cycling and that it was “not their
idea of a
holiday”.
Only in one case was a cycling holiday undertaken alone.
.
“...it’s
the social side, we do eat and drink well while we’re out there as
well and
we
meet friends that some of us probably only see once a year.”
Implications
for the marketing of cycling holidays
The
results of this research offer some initial information that allows
the more accurate
targeting
of the benefits of a cycling holiday to potential cycle tourists.
These are
outlined
below.
Marketing
implications
.
Cycle
tourists are young at heart, not young. The
age profile of cycle tourists
shows
that the majority are aged 45 years and over. This fact needs to be
reflected
in
marketing literature, particularly in the selection of imagery.
.
Promote
cycling holidays as a chance to experience nature. Marketing
literature
aimed at cycle tourists should emphasise the idea of being immersed
in
scenery.
Text should emphasise the multi-sensory nature of the experience by
highlighting
not just sights, but smells and sounds. Contrasts with travel by car
will
resonate
with many potential cycle tourists.
.
The solitude
desired by cycle tourists is relative, with
a wish to escape the
crowds
contrasting with the social nature of cycling holidays. Therefore,
images
showing
cycling tourist groups pausing to take in a particular part of the
scenery
should
be accentuated.
.
Show cycling
holidays as a social experience. Given
the importance placed on
being
with friends and/or family, imagery should show couples and groups of
cyclists
rather than solitary riders. As the findings indicate that cycling
holidays are
more
often than not taken with friends rather than family, depicted
groupings
should
reflect this.
.
Highlight
cycling holidays as a break from responsibilities. Cycling
holidays
were
described by a number of respondents as a chance to have a break from
familial
responsibilities. Marketing materials should reflect this and
acknowledge
that
cycle tourists see cycling holidays without the family as a short
break, whilst
reserving
the main holiday for the family.
.
Deal with the
challenge factor. As
has been stated, the challenging nature of the
routes
undertaken whilst on a cycling holiday were seen as a major positive
attribute
by most of the respondents. However, further research needs to be
undertaken
to ascertain whether the challenge aspect is appealing to current
noncycling
tourists.
The predominance of male cycle tourists may suggest that the
challenging
nature of routes is putting off a larger percentage of potential
female
cycle
tourists than males. In this case, less challenging routes may need
to be
developed
and marketed to attract women.
.
Cycling
holidays may be ‘green’ but that’s not how they are perceived.
Whilst
many within the tourist industry highlight cycling holidays as a
sustainable
form
of tourism, it is apparent that the people going on such holidays do
not see
them
in environmental terms. Careful consideration should, therefore, be
given
regarding
the importance of ‘green’ issues in marketing materials.
Product
implications
.
Encouraging
cyclists to visit attractions. Many
visitor attractions are currently
not
visited to a large extent by cycle tourists. If cycle tourists are to
be encouraged
to
visit, then secure, enclosed cycle parking provision is required.
Cycle stands are
not
sufficient due to the perceived danger of luggage being stolen off
bikes.
Given
the high use of drinking and eating outlets, attractions should
consider en route
signage
promoting access to their restaurant/café rather than the
attraction itself.
In
the longer-term, the development of non-linear routes that encourage
exploration
of an area in more depth may be beneficial to visitor attractions.
.
Cycling
holidays currently attract the ‘devoted’. Cycle
tourists are very likely to
have
gone on a cycling holiday previously. Only 20% are taking their first
cycling
holiday.
Tourism planners need to address how people who have never been on
such
a holiday can be encouraged to do so. The re-packaging of existing
routes in
different
ways may be beneficial. A series of circular routes that can be
accessed
over
a number of days from one accommodation base, rather than a linear
route
that
requires different overnight accommodation each night, may also prove
fruitful.
Conclusions
Cycle
tourism is a burgeoning market in the UK and one that is predicted to
continue
to
grow. If marketing efforts are to be optimised, there is a
requirement to understand
the
characteristics and needs of cycle tourists. This paper has provided
some initial
findings
regarding these areas.
As
has been seen, cycle tourists do not conform to the active holiday
market
stereotype.
They are predominately aged 45 or over and see cycling as relaxing
and as
a
unique way to experience nature and relative solitude. At the same
time, however,
there
is a high incidence of cycling holidays being a challenge. This
research also
identifies
an interesting trend, that cycling holidays are often taken with
friends rather
than
family members and are considered a short break holiday rather than a
main
holiday.
What
this research shows is that those involved in promoting cycle tourism
– tourist
boards,
local authorities, cycling organisations and cycle holiday companies
– need to
base
their decisions on a clear understanding of the market. The best way
to achieve
this
is through a programme of detailed and comprehensive research.
A
further programme of quantitative research is planned by the author
to provide
further
insights into the market and to confirm the validity of these initial
findings.
Further
sources
Beioley,
S. (1995) On Yer Bike – Cycling and Tourism, Insights,
B17-B31.
Cope,
A.M., Doxford, D. and Hill, T. (1998) Monitoring Tourism on the UK’s
First Long-
Distance
Cycle Route, Journal
of Sustainable Tourism, Vol.
6, pp. 210-223.
Countryside
Commission (1995) The
Market for Recreational Cycling in the
Countryside.
Crandall,
R. (1980) Motivations for Leisure, Journal
of Leisure Research, Vol.
11, No. 3,
pp.
165-181.
Crompton,
J.L. (1979) Motivations for Pleasure Travel, European
Journal of Marketing,
Vol.
6, pp. 408-424.
Keeling,
A. (1999) The National Cycle Network: Boosting UK Cycle Tourism,
Insights,
A43-A49.
Leisure
Consultants (1992) Activity
Holidays: The Growth Market in Tourism, Leisure
Consultants,
London.
Lumsdon,
L. (1996) Cycle Tourism in Britain, Insights
D27-D32.
Ryan,
C. and Glendon, I. (1998) Application of Leisure Motivation Scale to
Tourism,
Annals
of Tourism Research, Vol.
25, No. 1, pp.169-185.
Saabye
Simonsen, P. and Jorgensen, B. (1998) Cycling
Tourism: Environmental and
Economical
Sustainability?
Sustrans
(1999) Cycle
Tourism Information Pack, TT21.
Tinsley,
H.E.A. and Kass, R.A. (1979) The Latent Structure of the Need
Satisfying
Properties
of Leisure Activities, Journal
of Leisure Research,
Vol. 11, pp. 278-291.
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