Cresting a decade of cycling success
by Michèle Nardelli
As
the 2007 Tour winds down and the organisers inevitably start to
sketch out plans for the 10th anniversary TDU in 2008, what elements
might need to be refreshed to maintain success and attractiveness to
the sponsors and supporters?
There have been a few suggestions to include team sprints, change the stages a little here and there, but according to UniSA’s Professor of Tourism Management, Graham Brown, research suggests that the organisers of TDU don’t have too much to worry about.
"People speak extremely highly of this event," Prof Brown says.
"Our survey work shows that this is a very important event for SA and one that continues to be valued locally, and within the cycling community, it is a national highlight."
Prof Brown says feedback shows that local and interstate cyclists really enjoy TDU and that it is successful in introducing people to the special cycling-friendly aspects of the state.
"From a tourism perspective, people get to see the state and those who cycle can ride through great scenery, from hills and flats to the ocean and all quite close to the city centre," he says.
"These elements really sell the city and state to the people who come here and the event gathers up a whole lot of other cycling activity around the weeks leading up to and during the tour. People know that Adelaide is probably the best Australian city for cycling. Cycling also has some other popular aspects - it is environmentally positive, people of all skill levels can participate, it is family friendly and it is healthy, making it accessible to a broad range of people.
"And finally the TDU offers an elite level sport that is
intimate."
When you go to the soccer you don’t get to have coffee with the team
at the next table and you certainly don’t see inside the dressing
room. Cycling allows fans a very ‘up close and personal’
experience."
Prof Brown says while Australia cannot expect TDU to be as big an event as its European equivalents or to have the same level of spin-off tourism, the organisers have definitely got the formula right.
"As far as a key sponsor is concerned, it is the marketing fit that will matter the most. TDU will need to find someone with a real interest in developing their European and US markets, and that doesn’t have to be a local company."