The Camel and Tarka Trails
Evidence from the UK of the economic benefits of
cycle tourism
Richard Weston
Institute of Transport and Tourism – UCLAN - UK

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UCLan, UK

Tourism impacts
• Cornwall – resident population of approx 500,000
– 5m tourism visits annually – supporting 63,000
jobs – 29% of total employment
• Devon – resident population of approx 1,000,000
– 8m tourism visits annually – supporting 81,000
– 16% of total employment
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UCLan, UK

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Camel Trail
• Original railway built in early 1830s
• Opened in the 1970s by local authority as a
footpath (Wadebridge to Padstow – 8km)
• Unauthorised use by cyclists in early 1980s
• Extensions to Bodmin and Poley’s Bridge/
Wenford Bridge
• Now approximately 28km in length
• Around 250,000 users (cyclists) each year
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UCLan, UK

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Tarka Trail
• Began life as the Taw/Torridge Country Park,
again predominantly as a footpath
• Became the Tarka Trail in 1994
• A 48km stretch, between Braunton and Meeth,
finally opened to cyclists in 1997
• Around 120,000 users each year
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UCLan, UK

Where does the demand come from
From analysis of the case studies and other
evidence the primary factors that determine
recreational and tourism demand are:
• The proximity of population near to the route;
• The extent to which the route is traffic free;
• The imagery or appeal of the route;
• The ease of access to the route or network;
• The quality of trail: upgraded facilities, lack of
steep gradients and good surfaces.
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Cycle tourism demand
• The proportion of recreation and tourism users
averages 59% of all trips in the UK.
• However, there is greater use by cyclists for
recreation and tourism purposes in rural locations,
typically around 70% on rural tourist trails.
• A survey on the Camel Trail estimated this to be
as high as 97%.
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UCLan, UK

Where does the spending go?
• Food and drink
- Cafés/Public houses/Restaurants
• Accommodation
- Bed & Breakfast/Hotels/Camping/Bunk-barns
• Cycle hire
- Less successful in the UK
• Transport
• Gifts
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Economic impact
• On the Camel Trail the local authority estimate the
direct spending to be €3m
• This may be a significant under-estimate ( could
as much as three times this)
• Direct spending support over 60 local jobs +
others from indirect and induced effects
• Anecdotal evidence of higher local multiplier from
cycle tourism
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UCLan, UK

Conclusions
The Camel and Tarka Trails both have:
• Large holiday populations near to the route;
• Predominantly traffic free;
• Pass through pristine countryside with changing
landscapes;
• Access directly from local towns;
• The gentle gradients and good levels of
maintenance.
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UCLan, UK