Cycle Tourists Research Articles

Guiding the Way: Exploring cycle tourists’ needs and preferences for cycling route maps and signage

Due to their mobile, self‐propelled nature, independent cycle tourists are a unique group because they are reliant upon accurate wayfinding aids to facilitate trip planning and navigation while en route. Directorial and/or informative signage and cartographic maps are important wayfinding aids for these tourists. However, little research to date has considered the needs and preferences of independent cycle tourists with reference to wayfinding aids. This paper presents a combination of quantitative and qualitative evidence collected from a broader study of independent cycle tourists in Australia. The research found that the personal health and safety of cycle tourists can be compromised by the provision of inaccurate information published on maps and signage. Female cycle tourists appeared to be more susceptible to wayfinding anxiety than males, and exhibited a stronger desire to be well informed about the nature of the routes they will cycle on. Implications for the planning and management of initiatives designed to attract independent cycle tourists to a destination region are highlighted, as are potential areas for future research.

Putting the brakes on: impediments to the development of independent cycle tourism in Australia

Cycle tourism was identified in the Australian federal government's 2003 Tourism White Paper as a niche market with potential for enhancing Australia's competitiveness in the global tourism marketplace. However, if Australia is to establish itself as an internationally recognised cycle tourism destination, the three spheres of government must work together and take steps such as strategic planning, to improve the provision of infrastructure and amenities required by cycle tourists. Strategic planning requires a good knowledge of the needs of cycle tourists. However, at this time little systematic research has examined the efficacy of Australia to support this form of tourism. This article reports the outcomes of an exploratory study which examined three factors currently considered impediments to the development of independent cycle tourism. Quantitative and qualitative evidence are presented to confirm that factors including road safety for cyclists, inadequate infrastructure, and difficulties associated with the carriage of bicycles on transport services, currently act as impediments to the development of independent cycle tourism in Australia. Recommendations are also made for government actions that should be undertaken to ameliorate these impediments.

Bicycle tourism in the South Island of New Zealand: planning and management issues

Several emerging trends are pointing to the re-emergence of the bicycle as an important leisure and recreational transportation mode. Yet little research has been conducted into cycling within a tourism context. This paper examines the increasing phenomenon of bicycle tourism by defining bicycle tourists and bicycle tourism from a demand perspective, and describes the characteristics, infrastructure and travel behaviour associated with bicycle tourism through the examination of data collected on independent cycle tourists in the South Island of New Zealand. It illustrates through performance-importance analysis, the areas of major concern in the planning and management of bicycle tourism, and recommends that a demand side perspective is needed if the supply side of the industry is to be sustainable in the future. It makes recommendations for the future planning and management of bicycle tourism in New Zealand that may be of interest to countries currently developing cycle tourism.

Carotid baroreflex sensitivity and physical fitness in cycling tourists.

Carotid baroreceptors were stimulated with neck suction in 47 healthy subjects. Pulse interval lengthening was measured and the time course of the response was evaluated. Eight intensities of neck chamber suction were applied to select a criterion for computing the "RR response" that gives a significant linear relationship with the magnitude of the stimuli in the highest number of individuals. The best criterion was the maximal RR prolongation within 5 seconds after the onset of the stimulus. The slope of this relationship was defined as baroreflex sensitivity. The effect of physical fitness on baroreceptor function was investigated in 24 cycling tourists with a wide range of peak oxygen uptake and training characteristics. Baroreflex sensitivity averaged 7.3 +/- 0.8 msec X mm Hg-1 and was not significantly related to age, weight, basal heart rate, peak oxygen uptake and ventilation and other training characteristics. The results suggest that in man the so defined sensitivity of the carotid baroreflex control of heart rate is not influenced by the level of physical fitness and therefore the measurement of these characteristics can be neglected in evaluating baroreflex sensitivity.