Weymouth based cycle holiday company; Signpost Cycling, assisted with the visit from 9 international journalists who experienced, by bicycle, parts of the Dorset section of the European funded Cycle West project, the Tour de Manche (TDM). The 1200km/745miles route starts in Plymouth to Poole, crossing the channel to Cherbourg and finishing in Roscoff.
The 9 Journalists from northern Europe;Holland, Germany, Belgium and England, experienced sections of the route in both Normandy and Brittany before arriving in Poole for the Dorset section of the route.
Working with Visit England and Dorset County Council, Signpost Cycling carefully compiled an itinerary that highlighted to the journalists areas of outstanding natural beauty, heritage, history, the Jurassic Coast and the diversification of the route from Poole to Weymouth.
The group were served a buffet lunch of Dorset, meats, fish and cheese in the Oasis Bistro overlooking Weymouth Harbour.
Roy Griffiths, Signpost Cycling, Principal said “We were delighted to be able to use our local knowledge and cycling enthusiasm to showcase the area to the visiting journalists. We know more and more people are looking for an adventure from their holiday time and cycling can be as leisurely as you want it to be. Activity adventure tourism is the way forward to extend our holiday season in Weymouth, Portland and Dorset, which in turn will strengthen the economy. The coverage the visit will create in a number of European papers and magazines will definitely boost the profile of Dorset as a destination for adventure and fun”.
Writing for a Dutch regional paper, Rik Booldink commented “I was very surprised how many landscapes we saw in such a short distance. The route signage is good and easy to follow. The Dutch people love their touring cycling; I think they will like this section of the route. The pebbles on Chesil Beach were like being in a children’s ball play pool, like you find in IKEA”.
German reporter, Harald Rief, said “German people do not know how good England is for cycling. The locations have all been so different, not what I was expecting”.
Coverage from the 9 journalists will reach in excess of over 3 million readers via national and local newspapers and dedicated cycling magazines.
Picture credit: Journalists swop their pedals for pebbles on ‘Chesil Beach’. © Signpost Cycling
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