Cycling as tourist offer

International Cycling Congress 6-8 February 2014 , Palma de Mallorca, Spain

CYCLING AS A TOURIST OFFER IN MALLORCA Xisco Lliteras, Iberostar Playa de Muro

The beginnings (1986)

Xisco Lliteras, Iberostar Playa de Muro

Analysis of the current market

• Typology of customers

Xisco Lliteras, Iberostar Playa de Muro

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Average age

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Gender

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Socioeconomic status

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Country of origin and special features

Analysis of the current market

• Economic impact of cycle tourism -

Lack of a rigorous quantitative study

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120,000 cycle tourists/year

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+ - 840,000 stays/year

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Economic impact of more than 100 M â‚Ź

Xisco Lliteras, Iberostar Playa de Muro

Analysis of the current market

• Special features of the economic impact -

Positive effect during the low season

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Economic impact spread all over the island

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Type of tourism that favors environmental sustainability

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% of the profit goes to foreign enterprises (hiring of personnel at the origin)

Xisco Lliteras, Iberostar Playa de Muro

Strengths of Mallorca as a destination for cyclists • Climate

Xisco Lliteras, Iberostar Playa de Muro

Strengths of Mallorca as a destination for cyclists • Secondary road network

Xisco Lliteras, Iberostar Playa de Muro

Strengths of Mallorca as a destination for cyclists • Geographical location

Xisco Lliteras, Iberostar Playa de Muro

Strengths of Mallorca as a destination for cyclists • International airport

• Air Berlin Hub

Xisco Lliteras, Iberostar Playa de Muro

Strengths of Mallorca as a destination for cyclists • Orography

Strengths of Mallorca as a destination for cyclists • Cycling tradition

Xisco Lliteras, Iberostar Playa de Muro

Strengths of Mallorca as a destination for cyclists

• Tourism enterprises -

Iberostar

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Melià

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Barceló

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Globalia

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Etc.  Offer also in the low season

• Complementary offers

Xisco Lliteras, Iberostar Playa de Muro

Strengths of Mallorca as a destination for cyclists • New sporting event for the reference target customer ďƒ˜ Mallorca 312

Xisco Lliteras, Iberostar Playa de Muro

Strengths of the product ‘cycle tourism’

• Increase in the practice of sports.

• Increase in the practice of outdoor sports.

• Increase in the practice of cycling.

• Exponential increase in the practice of cycling in the UK. • Increase in the practice of cycling amongst people with higher incomes.

• Establishment of “training camps”.

• Establishment of a 2nd holiday period in Germanic countries.

Xisco Lliteras, Iberostar Playa de Muro

Strengths of the product ‘cycle tourism’

Xisco Lliteras, Iberostar Playa de Muro

Strengths of the product ‘cycle tourism’

Xisco Lliteras, Iberostar Playa de Muro

Why target UK cyclists?

• £2.1 billion - worth of UK cycling market 2010 • 3.7m bikes sold in the UK in 2010 • 1.3m new cyclists in the UK in 2010 • Government ride to work schemes

• Rise in number of events • Olympic legacy • Congestion • Health benefits Figures from the LSE (supported by Sky/British Cycling) report 2011 “The British Cycling Economy” – Gross Cycling Product Report Xisco Lliteras, Iberostar Playa de Muro

Weaknesses of Mallorca as a destination for cyclists • Lack of impetus and coordination in transversal policies.

- Roads - Environment - Tourism

- DGT - Sports - Cycling Federation of the Balearic Islands - Tour operators - Enterprises for sports services - Bike shops

Xisco Lliteras, Iberostar Playa de Muro

Weaknesses of Mallorca as a destination for cyclists • Loss of the MTB market. Lack of legal certainty.

• Problems of road safety.

• Bad interaction in the private sector.

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Tour operators, sports tourism, hotels…

• Weak (and wrong?) tourism promotion.

• Fairs vs. Events.

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Local events as part of the tourism product

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Routes and promotional contents

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Fun trips and press trips

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I International Forum for Tourism and Sports + Fair

Xisco Lliteras, Iberostar Playa de Muro

Tools to improve tourism destinations

• Permanent committee for cyclists’ road safety: - Direcció Insular d’Esports. CIM. - Direcció Insular de Carreteres. CIM. - DGT. - Guardia Civil.

- Direcció General d’Interior. Balearic Government.

- Regional radio and TV. IB3.

- Cycling Federation of the Balearic Islands.

Xisco Lliteras, Iberostar Playa de Muro

Tools to improve tourism destinations

• Strategic board on cycle tourism. Agència de Turisme de les Illes Balears.

Balearic Government: -

Agència de Turisme de les Illes Balears.

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Balearic Government.

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Consell de Mallorca. Economic promotion.

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Chamber of Commerce.

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FEHM.

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Foment del Turisme.

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Cycling Federation of the Balearic Islands.

Xisco Lliteras, Iberostar Playa de Muro

Challenges for the future of the sports tourism

SECTOR

Hotels

MANAGMENT AREA PRODUCT AREA PROMOTION AREA

Xisco Lliteras, Iberostar Playa de Muro

Travel agencies

Sports services

Spanish tour operators

All tour operators

Administration

More information Xisco Lliteras Sport Events Manager. Iberostar Playa de Muro Director Mallorca312 Tel. 647 348 862 twitter.com/XiscoLliteras

Xisco Lliteras, Iberostar Playa de Muro

International Cycling Congress 6-8 February 2014 , Palma de Mallorca, Spain

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