Scotland’s reputation as a destination for adventure tourism will be further strengthened thanks to Scottish Government investment of £185,000 to support the expansion of mountain biking.
The funding builds upon the £1 million invested in the sector by the Scottish Government and by Forestry and Land Scotland last year. It was announced by Tourism Secretary Fiona Hyslop ahead of the publication of the new Scottish Mountain Biking Strategy
Speaking at the award-winning Glentress centre for mountain biking near Peebles, Ms Hyslop said:
“Scotland has much to offer those who want to enjoy physical, exhilarating challenges in a beautiful setting and the Tourism Scotland 2020 Strategy highlights the growth potential of adventure tourism.
“By using our natural terrain and the expertise of organisations such as the Mountain Bike Consortium, we can further develop mountain biking opportunities to grow the sector and attract even more visitors, particularly to our rural areas such as Dumfries and Galloway, and the Borders.
“This funding – alongside the strategy it supports – will unlock a number of benefits, getting people more active and increasing the economic contribution of mountain biking to Scotland. It is particularly timely as we build up to hosting the UCI Cycling World Championships in 2023 – the first time all 13 cycling disciplines will be held in one place at one time.
Background
The funding is being provided to Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland and the Mountain Biking Centre of Scotland.
Recent research on the mountain bike industry in Scotland confirms that the GVA (gross value added) impact of the mountain bike industry amounted to £105 million in 2015, and could potentially grow to £158 million by 2025, an increase of 50%.
The Scottish Mountain Bike Consortium represents a range of industry operators including bike retailers, landowners, trail designers, accommodation providers and training/coaching professionals who work together to provide a structured approach mountain bike solutions, and to address general business issues.
On 8 February 2019 it was announced that Scotland will host the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, an inaugural event that will bring together the world championships of 13 cycling disciplines and hold them over a two week period.
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