Pedaling Through the Past: Sport Heritage, Tourism Development, and the Tour of Flanders

Gregory Ramshaw - Clemson UniversityTim Bottelberghe- Toerisme Oost-Vlaanderen

Overview

• Sport heritage and tourism development• Relationship between cycling, heritage, and

tourism• Background to Tour of Flanders• Current Tour of Flanders Tourism• Tourism Issues and Initiatives • Results and Challenges• Conclusion

Sport heritage and tourism development

• Individually, both sport and heritage are viewed as important aspects of tourism development– However, little understanding as to how sport and

heritage together could contribute to tourism development

• There seems to be an appetite for sport heritage as a catalyst for tourism development– Sports museums as anchors of urban tourism– Significant visitation to sites of sporting significance – Sport/heritage events that reveal local culture

Cycling, heritage, and tourism

• Cycling overlaps with both active and event sport tourism– Participation (renting bike, etc.) and/or spectatorship

(viewing a race)• Cycling and heritage– Expression of culture and identity (eg: Tour de France)– Place and landscape– Self-expression and personal identity – Cycling heritage attractions (museums, etc.)

Tour of Flanders

Tour of Flanders

• One day cycling race in Flanders (Dutch-speaking part of Belgium) held each April (Race in 2014 was held April 6)

• Founded in 1913 – in part as an expression of Flemish identity– Race created image of the “Flandrien” – the Flemish racer

who never gave up, no matter the circumstances• Flemish landscape (Flemish Ardennes) central to the

race– Cobblestone hills are considered a sport heritage artefact

(protected heritage)

Tour of Flanders Tourism

• Tour of Flanders one of Belgium’s premier sporting events– One million fans line the race route (Belgium’s

population is a little over 11 million)– 34 million viewers watch the race on television

• Accommodation on race weekend is fully booked– Few tourists actually stay in the region pre/post race

• Estimated economic impact of 14M Euros (Approx $19M US)

Tour of Flanders Tourism

• Current Tour of Flanders-related heritage attractions– Center Tour of Flanders Museum opened in city of

Oudenaarde in 2003• “Shrine” to past winners, simulators, Tour gift shop, Brasserie,

shower/clothing facilities• Visitation approx 50K per year, employs 14 staff, revenues of 1.4M

Euros (approx $1.9M US)– “Retroronde” race

• Retro cycling race; racers use old equipment and clothing– Cycling network and cycling maps

• Museum and tourism offices sell cycling maps – nearly 10,000 sold in two years

Tourism Challenges

• Translating popularity of the Tour to year-round visitation

• Conflicts between “serious” amateur race cyclists and leisure cyclists

• Change of race route – some “traditional” locations left out of race and has lead to local backlash

• Race commercialization – commodification v. authenticity

• Few foreign visitors Lots of tourism potential but not yet fully realized

Tourism Initiatives

Tour Centenary

• Tour Centenary– 2013 marked the 100th anniversary of the first Tour

of Flanders– Ministry of Tourism - Flemish government

dedicated 5M for tourism development concerning the Centenary• Focus on:

– Tourism infrastructure development– Marketing and communication

– Seen as a catalyst for attracting foreign visitation

Marketing and Communication

‘Live your own Tour of Flanders’ campaign– Magazine connecting sport, heritage and tourism– Cycle route development– Signposting at heritage (slopes and cobblestones)

Infrastructure: Timing Systems

• Heritage technologies– Creation of a Tour of Flanders app– Connect cyclists with surrounding landscape,

attractions– Timing system• Allow riders to “race” against former Tour champions,

particularly on cobblestone routes• Social function – race friends, etc.

Non-Cycling Culture and Heritage

• Local cultures– Tour of Flanders as “gateway” into Flemish culture– Ways of life– Landscape– Language– Food & drink– Attractions

• Aimed, in part, at non-cycling tourist – those who want a “taste of the Tour” without actually cycling the route

Results and Challenges

Results

• Tour Centenary – Widely embraced and supported– Significant press interest within Europe; many

special articles, coverage in media– Increase in visitation to region, particularly from

Holland and France

Results

• Timing systems/heritage technologies– Significant issues in set-up and delivery• Installation of timing technologies in countryside• GPS “chip” requires rent/purchase and registration;

confusion from both riders and providers• Competition from other delivery options (phone apps,

etc.)• Buy-in by local stakeholders is low

– Providers still committed to program, but remains challenging

Results

• Non-cycling culture and heritage– Survey results not yet known– Buy-in from public and providers (requests for

information, brochures, website visits, etc.)– Cooperation between the different stakeholders in the

region increased (Tourism entrepreneurs, TOF Center, Tourism offices) during the campaign

– Challenges of scale• Rural providers are small, and are unable to handle larger groups• If tourism to grow in region, particularly from groups, need to

address accommodation and amenity issues in rural regions

Additional Issues

• Casual v. serious cyclists– Some conflicts over space and use

• Ownership of sport heritage development– Lack of leadership/interest post-centenary – Communication issues between partners

• Tour commodification• Tour routes• Long term strategy needed

Conclusion

• Sport heritage could be a catalyst for tourism development

• Tour of Flanders case– Potential for utilizing sport heritage for year-round

promotion and visitation– Anniversaries tend to generate interest, though

maintaining stakeholder focus remains a challenge– Combining sport heritage with other non-sport

cultural traditions

Thank youGregory Ramshaw

gramsha@clemson.edu @sportheritage1

www.sportheritagereview.com

Tim Bottelberghe tim.bottelberghe@gmail.com

@timbottelberghewww.tov.be