Bikers pump £569m into UK tourism

Added on Wednesday, June 16th, 2010 by Carole Nash Editor | No Comments

The MCI has claimed that motorcycle users contribute around £569m to the UK tourism industry and are responsible for the creation of 13,250 jobs.

A survey carried out for the industry by GHK for MCI has found that the average motorcycle tourist contributes around £380 per annum to the UK tourism industry, with spending on accommodation, food, drink and attractions.

The South West of England is currently the main beneficiary, receiving 17.3% of the total spend. The South East (11.2%), London (11.2%) and the North West (11.1%) are the runners up.

Motorcycle usage is very seasonal and is twice as high between May and August as it is between December and February, with riders taking advantage of the more enjoyable and safer riding conditions, strengthening the strong links between motorcycling and tourism.

And the report suggested that hoteliers, restaurant owners and other tourist related organisations could make even more from the “biker pound” by making their attractions more bike friendly, claiming that there is an untapped market of both British riders and European tourists riding to the UK.

The report claimed that there were 23,000 international riders visiting the UK every year, compared to around 100,000 independent riders from the UK who take tourism related motorcycling trips abroad each year, with overseas bikers bringing in around £17m per year, an average spend of around £740.

“This survey has shown us that the UK tourist industry is making important financial gains from motorcyclists,” claimed Steve Kenward, CEO of MCI. “At the moment, there are certain areas in the UK that are seeing bigger gains, but there is a huge untapped market for the tourist industry to tap into.

“Currently, we only receive about one quarter of the number of riders that travel abroad from the UK, so we should be looking to attract more overseas visitors as well as improving the ‘tourist’ experience for British motorcyclists. Providing secure parking, offering discounts for groups, creating links with sporting events and generally offering a bike- friendly environment will lead to longer stays, more spending and happier customers.”

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