Media Release For Immediate Release June 11, 2020
Award Winning Businesses Ready to Meet the Surge of Cycle Tourists This Summer
(Ontario, Canada) As many tourism businesses and destinations ready to open for the busy summer season, paired with an increase in cycling and travel plans closer to home, expect to see more cycle tourists on the trails, roads, in communities and businesses around Ontario.
Recent survey data collected by Ontario By Bike and partners in May 2020, shows:
· 62% of cyclists are planning on day trips, with a growing interest in resuming multi-day trips.
· 75% of respondents are planning on cycling closer to home this summer
· With 41% cancelling international travel that includes cycling activities, cycle tourism in Ontario will be a popular summer activity With the 2020 Ontario By Bike Bicycle Friendly Business Award recipients recently announced, cyclists may want to add a new ride destination to their plans and stop at one in each of Ontario’s 13 tourism regions.
The awards were presented by Ontario By Bike, whose network of certified bicycle friendly tourism businesses is over 1,500 strong. The certification program has criteria that helps ensure cyclists are welcomed at businesses they choose to stop at whether it be as a cycle tourist, on a longer trip, or while biking closer to home. The Network is free for businesses to participate in and the information on each location plus cycling trails and road routes in each region is easily accessible online.
“The level of service and enthusiasm that these 2020 award winning businesses welcome cyclists with surpasses our bicycle friendly certification criteria and truly is beyond exceptional. Cyclists are taking note and spreading the word. We are pleased to recognize their efforts serving the cycling community, both locals and cycle tourists.” states Louisa Mursell, Executive Director of Ontario By Bike / Transportation Options.
2020 Ontario By Bike Bicycle Friendly Business Award Winners: www.ontariobybike.ca/2020awardwinners
Ontario’s Southwest
Best Business: Banded Goose Brewing Co.
Niagara Region
Best Business: Talwood Manor B&B
Bike business: Zoom Leisure Bikes
Hamilton Halton Brant
Best Business: Lola Choco Bar and Sweet House
Bike Business: The Bicycle Shop Brantford
Huron, Perth, Waterloo & Wellington
Best Business: Ken Seiling
Waterloo Region Museum
Greater Toronto Area
Bike Business: Pedal Toronto
York Durham Headwaters
Best Business: Pheasant Run Golf Club
Bruce Grey Simcoe
Best Business: Affairs Bakery and Cafe
Bike Business: Humdinger Bicycle Tours
Kawarthas Northumberland
Best Business: Brighton Inn Bed and Breakfast
South Eastern Ontario
Best Business: Auberge Chesley’s Inn
Bike Businesses: BikeON Tours & I-Cycle Electric Bicycle Company
Ottawa & Countryside
Best Business: Alt Hotel Ottawa
Ontario’s Highlands
Best Business: Molly’s Bistro and Bakery
Bike Business: Yantha Cycle
Explorers’ Edge
Best Business: Magnetawan Grill & Grocery
Northern Ontario
Best Business: Twin Peaks Bed and Breakfast
*Geographic disbursement based on Ontario’s 13 tourism regions
Quotes From Award Winning Businesses:
“We, as proud entrepreneurs in Kingsville recognize the beauty of travelling throughout our town by bike and on foot as opposed to car.” Troy Loop, Banded Goose Brewing Company, in Kingsville.
“We are the perfect location as a starting point for their ride. We have both indoor & outdoor seating and a friendly smile…I even offer to give cyclists a ride home if they are tired…nobody takes me up on it!” Molly McInerney, Molly’s Bakery and Bistro, in Minden.
“We put out three bicycle racks in front of the Bakery each morning so the cyclists can keep an eye on their bikes. We appreciate their business and greet them with a smile and hello. We rely on the cyclists for the mainstay of our business. Any suggestions that they offer in regards to service are quickly implemented.” Norma Panzine, Affairs Bakery and Café, in Creemore.
“I have a group from Ottawa who rent all the rooms in the Inn every year. After six years it’s like the arrival of old friends to a party.” Robert Prowse, Auberge Chesley’s Inn, in Cornwall.
About Ontario By Bike™
Ontario By Bike™ works with a variety of partners to develop and promote cycling and cycle tourism across Ontario. Administering a Network of over 1,500 certified bicycle friendly businesses and providing a comprehensive portal of information, Ontario By Bike is inspiring visitors and residents to explore more of the province by bike. Ontario By Bike is a program of Transportation Options, a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering sustainable transportation and tourism solutions in Ontario.
· Ontario By Bike – www.ontariobybike.ca · Transportation Options – www.transportationoptions.org
· 2020 Cycle Tourism & Cycling Activity Survey Report – COVID-19 (May 2020) – www.transportationoptions.org/ontarioresearch
·
Media Contact: Louisa Mursell
Executive Director, Ontario By Bike / Transportation Option lmursell@transportationoptions.org
Office: 416.827.2774 / 1.866.701.2774
Cell: 416.823.0465 Find us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram