Hotel owners, tourist attractions and cycle hire companies across Cornwall are being encouraged to take advantage of new publicity material to help promote their businesses to touring cyclists.
The ‘kit’, produced by the European-funded CYCLE WEST project, which is supported by Cornwall Council, contains high quality photos, videos, logos and online banners. It is free to download and use for businesses located near the new, Anglo-French cycle routes, the Tour de Manche (Devon and Dorset), Petit Tour de Manche (Dorset and Jersey), la Vélodyssée (Devon) and Vélowest (Cornwall and Devon).
It is hoped that businesses using the publicity material will attract cyclists researching the routes online as they plan where to stay and eat, and what to visit along the way. Research in France by the national tourist development body, Atout France, shows that visiting cyclists spend on average 70 euros (£65) a day, compared with other tourists who spend 54 euros (£45) per day.
Isabelle Parfitt, CYCLE WEST project manager, says, “Cycling in the UK is becoming more and more popular, so this is a great time for businesses to tap into that interest and promote what they have to offer the visiting cyclist. By giving businesses all the tools they need to tell cyclists about the cross-Channel cycle routes the more they can promote the cycle routes relevant to their area and the more likely it is that cyclists searching online for facilities along the routes will use the services of that particular business.”
