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June and Neil Warwick, who run the Station Inn in Ribblehead, said their advert in CTC’s annual Members’ Handbook, which next year becomes Cyclists Welcome, helped to them to stay solvent whilst FMD kept the Yorkshire Dales closed.
According to CTC, the Warwick’s have have strongly endorsed CTC’s plans to publish a directory of services for holidaying cyclists. The book, which will be published annually, will provide information for cycle tourists.
Neil Warwick said: "CTC members certainly helped us through FMD and sometimes were the only people about. At times there were as many cycles out the front as there were customers in the bar. They saved our business."
Mr and Mrs Warwick’s Yorkshire Dales B&B and bunkhouse is known as the
‘Three Peaks Pitstop’ because it is almost the only place in the area
for three peaks’ walkers, racers and mountain bikers to stay or find
refreshment.
But foot and mouth hit Ribblehead hard with outbreaks in the Yorkshire
Dales National Park reducing income by 60 per cent for eight months.
"Cyclists were the only people about because they could use the roads,"
said June Warwick.
Cycle tourism is invaluable to local economies and in the UK alone is
valued at £635m per year. By 2020 its value is expected to soar to £14bn
across Europe boosted in Britain not least by the completion of the
second 5,000 miles of the National Cycle Network.
Visitor numbers at Coed-y-Brenin, the MTB centre in North Wales, have risen by 365 per cent since 1999, contributing £3.2m to the local economy.
Kevin Mayne, CTC Director said: "The government wants to treble cycling
by 2010 and Cyclists Welcome is CTC’s way of helping service providers
and providing new markets for others after a tough year."
CTC was the first national user organisation to launch a UK-wide
campaign to reopen the countryside after foot and mouth, encouraging
cyclists back onto lanes because offroad areas were closed.
The Warwicks have taken both print and online adverts in Cyclists
Welcome which will be launched at the Outdoors Show next March. For full
details contact Bob Spalding at Technical Publicity Services on 01903
812627 or email tps@ukf.net
