City centre hotel caters for rural boom in environmental tourism
One of Glasgow’s leading budget hotels has found a new niche with a boom in visitors coming to Scotland on cycling holidays.
[UKPRwire, Fri Apr 20 2007] Wheeling and dealing has taken on a whole new meaning for one of Glasgow’s leading budget hotels with a boom in visitors coming to Scotland on cycling holidays.
McLays Guest House in the centre of Glasgow is fast gaining a reputation as a popular pit stop for environmentally friendly tourists after it became the first hotel in Glasgow to set aside a dedicated cycle park and workshop for guests.
Tens of thousands of travellers come to Scotland each year on cycling holidays and tourism bosses estimate the business is worth at least £219 million pounds annually to the Scottish economy.
Many tourists fly into Glasgow and stay in the city for a couple of days before taking to the open road.
“There has been a distinct increase in the number of guests turning up with bikes and they all need somewhere safe and secure to keep their equipment.” said Mr Shahid Chaudhry of McLays Guest House Glasgow.
”We thought it would be a good idea to provide somewhere secure for cyclists to store their bikes and, if necessary, carry out any repairs before setting off to tour the country.
”We don’t know of any other city centre hotels which cater specially for cyclists, which is crazy when you think how popular cycling holidays have become.
“By offering a secure place for their bikes it means that families and sportsmen can spend a few days in Glasgow at the beginning and end of their holidays before flying home again.”
Cycle tourism is becoming increasingly big business for Scotland with the Forestry Commission currently developing off-road and accessible forest routes for mountain bikers who crave the adrenaline rush offered by the country’s rugged terrain.
This years World Mountain Biking Championships, which are being held in Fort William between September 3rd and 9th, is expected to attract over 40,000 spectators and contribute £2 million to the local economy.
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