Press release -
From pedals to pounds!
VisitScotland Chairman Mike Cantlay welcomes visitors from near and far for Sunday’s Marie Curie Cancer Etape Caledonia. He said:
“As 5000 participants head to the bustling town of Pitlochry for Sunday’s Marie Curie Cancer Etape Caledonia, you can guarantee that this race, which is set in the stunning Highland Perthshire countryside, will be a winner for tourism.
“Research shows that mass participation events are a significant growth area, with data showing that people are willing to travel from outside the area or even internationally to participate or spectate in such events. Therefore, races like the Marie Curie Cancer Etape Caledonia, not only bring visitors to the area, but inspire them to stay longer and explore the region further, providing outstanding opportunities for a wide variety of local businesses within the local communities.
“VisitScotland is continuing to provide significant investment towards events that raise the profile of cycling in Scotland. Research shows 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.
“At 81 miles, legs may get tired and bodies weary, but I’m sure the dramatic landscape of the course will further motivate people to keep pushing for that finish line. The fact that entries for this year’s event sold out in less than three days says it all. Good luck to everyone involved - enjoy!”
One of the highlights of the Scottish cycling calendar, the Marie Curie Cancer Care Etape Caledonia, takes place this year on Sunday 11th May. An 81 mile circular challenge, and open to riders aged between 18 and 80, it is a mass closed-road cycling event and traverses some of the most beautiful parts of Highland Perthshire.
Starting in Pitlochry, the route takes cyclists north a few miles and then heads west as far as Bridge of Gaur, at the far western end of Loch Rannoch. At this point, the riders head east and south passing through the pretty conservation village of Fortingall, along the River Tay through Aberfeldy to Ballinluig, from where they start on the home stretch back to Pitlochry.
Topics
- Tourism
Categories
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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.
- According to a recent Deloitte study, the tourism economy supports 270,000 jobs in Scotland in 20,000 diverse businesses. The same study calculates that the tourism economy 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.
- For VisitScotland’s press releases go to http://www.visitscotland.org/media_centre.aspx, tourism statistics and frequently asked questions go to http://www.visitscotland.org/
- 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
Year of Food and Drink 2015
- 2015 is the Year of Food and Drink, a celebration of Scotland’s natural larder and the role that food and drink plays in shaping our economic success.
- Scotland generates over £2.5m per day through food and drink tourism.
- A series of themed months will create an appetite for key areas of Scotland’s food and drink industries – from seafood and whisky to berries and high-quality meat
- For more information, visit www.visitscotland.com/tastescotland
