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Millions of pounds have been generated for local economies by the Tour of Britain, according to a report from economic consultation firm Ekosgen.
The study discovered that over the two days that the Tour visited Devon and Somerset, the local economy benefited to the tune of £5 million.
Devon County Council and Somerset County Council co-hosted the two South West stages. An estimated 225,000 spectators lined the route over the two days, despite poor weather.
Over one millions viewers watched the ITV4 highlights of the South West stages, with viewers as far flung as Australia, New Zealand, Italy and South Africa exposed to the towns, coast and countryside of the region.
Devon also benefited from the Halfords Tour Series in Exeter in June, attracting 18,000 spectators and boosting the area with approximately £320,000.
“The Tour of Britain and Tour Series has again proven to be a massive draw which is great news for our local economy,” praised Councillor William Mumford, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Economic Regeneration and Strategic Planning.
“Both events attracted significant numbers of visitors which will have benefited local businesses. The international coverage of The Tour of Britain is a massive boon in promoting our county as a place to visit. TV audiences couldn’t fail to be impressed by the amazing shots of Dartmoor, our stunning coastline and the Jurassic Coast World Heritage site, as well as our beautiful market towns.”
Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation Councillor Stuart Hughes added: “Devon is proud to have hosted another highly successful year of The Tour of Britain and The Tour Series, and the cycling continues to grow in popularity. There was fantastic support in our region for the two races and as well as the hundreds of thousands who turned out to cheer on the riders, its rewarding to know that so many people saw our county by tuning into the television highlights. The Tour has given us the opportunity to showcase what Devon has to offer to people across the world and supports our commitment to become a premier destination for cycle tourism.”
Hugh Roberts, Chief Executive of Tour organisers SweetSpot Group concluded: “We are delighted with the 2010 Tour of Britain. “From the feedback we have received from our partners, teams, riders, the media and spectators, I think we can easily say that this has been the best ever edition of Britain’s national Tour. Despite not always having the best of the weather in the first half of the week, we still had huge, passionate support on the roadside, showing the popularity of The Tour, and the sport of cycling in this country.”
PIC CREDIT: Tour of Britain / Michelle Rudd
