Scotland is perfect for mountain biking. Let's make it an uphill struggle for other countries to catch us

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Mountain biking tourism in Scotland

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Scotland has a fantastic reputation for mountain biking ??? in fact we have been classed as Global Superstars by the IMBA

This guide will show you the vast potential of mountain biking tourism to help grow your business, and how it can help you attract more visitors and improve your bottom line.

Scotland has a fantastic reputation for mountain biking - in fact we have been classed as Global Superstars by the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) thanks to our beautiful natural landscapes and investment in top quality built facilities. This world-class status has led to a large increase in visitor numbers across the country.

In 2007 the key agencies involved in mountain biking in Scotland recognised that the activity could benefit from a more strategic approach to future development. 'Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland' was created, which aims to increase participation in mountain biking, to achieve sporting success, and 'importantly' to increase tourism and economic development. This will be delivered through a national framework strategy.

There are an estimated 11.8 million people who own a mountain bike in the UK

According to the 'Economic Value of Mountain Biking in Scotland' report commissioned by Scottish Enterprise, mountain biking tourism generates ??46.5 million each year for the Scottish economy.

This is from people who come here purely to enjoy our mountain biking product. If you count all visitors who engage with mountain biking on a trip and all of their trip expenditure, the figure totals ??119 million.

It's also a market set for significant growth over the next five years, with potential additional revenue of ??36 million per year, which will increase the market share to ??155 million. This is a fantastic time for tourism businesses to get involved.

In 2007 the number of tourists who undertook mountain biking during a trip to Scotland, nearly doubled from the previous year, as was shown in the 'UK Tourism Survey' by VisitEngland

'Economic Value of Mountain Biking in Scotland' estimates the total number of mountain biking visits at over 1.3 million per year. Nearly 600,000 visitors come here to sample our fantastic purpose-built trails.

According to 'Economic Value of Mountain Biking in Scotland' visitors for whom mountain biking is the main reason or a key part of their trip, spend an estimated ??46.5 million.

It???s vital that we focus on all potential visitors, from entry-level bikers to specialists.

According to the report 'Best Practice in Forest Tourism', commissioned by Scottish Enterprise, mountain biking has a loyal and growing following, with many people willing to travel up to four hours in each direction to take part in the activity.

In the face of increasing competition from England and Wales, and even further afield, it’s important we don't underestimate the importance of offering our mountain biking visitors an excellent visitor experience.

We also need to encourage visitors to extend their stay and spend more while they are here. If Scotland is to stay ahead, tourism businesses must work together to deliver all-round excellent mountain biking visitor experiences.

Want a printed version of the guide?

Please email info@tourism-intelligence.co.uk or call us on 0845 601 2454.

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Scotland is perfect for mountain biking. Let's make it an uphill struggle for other countries to catch us

Scotland has a fantastic reputation for mountain biking ??? in fact we have been classed as Global Superstars by the IMBA

There are an estimated 11.8 million people who own a mountain bike in the UK

Related links

According to the 'Economic Value of Mountain Biking in Scotland' report commissioned by Scottish Enterprise, mountain biking tourism generates ??46.5 million each year for the Scottish economy.

In 2007 the number of tourists who undertook mountain biking during a trip to Scotland, nearly doubled from the previous year, as was shown in the 'UK Tourism Survey' by VisitEngland

According to 'Economic Value of Mountain Biking in Scotland' visitors for whom mountain biking is the main reason or a key part of their trip, spend an estimated ??46.5 million.

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