What great news that the Highland Perthshire economy has secured the Etape Caledonia cycle event for the next five years. The event attracted 1,700 cyclists this year, each cyclist bringing an average of 1.5 spectators making a grand total of some 4,300 people. 85% of these people lived outside Perth and Kinross and some 40% outside Scotland. What a great piece of marketing this event gives us in Highland Perthshire..

It is interesting that 84% of these people said likely or very likely to return to the area out with the event over the next three years. How much would one have to pay a marketing company to generate similar impact in terms of visitors and potential return visitors to an area? - I suspect tens of thousands of pounds

Hear live interviews at this year's Etape event to see what cyclists had to say about the event.

I believe Highland Perthshire is extremely lucky to host Britain’s only closed road cycle event giving it an opportunity in attracting cyclists and their supporters each year.

Like any event, this event will keep growing and I am sure numbers will be significantly higher in 2009.  My recommendation to cyclists and spectators is book place and especially your Aberfeldy, Blair Atholl, Kinloch Rannoch and Pitlochry accommodation early as possible, as all the choice accommodation will be snapped up early.

There is an active group of businesses in Highland Perthshire who are proactive in developing activities around the Etape weekend. This year a number of events were run in Kenmore, Weem, Dull, Kinloch Rannoch, Logierait and Pitlochry. This year the group is exploring a number of other activities:-   

• A cycling festival based in Aberfeldy
• A new endurance hill climb for cyclists up Glen Quaich (the longest sustained hill climb in the UK)
• Further development of the event village at the start/finish location
• A community event in Kinloch Rannoch.

To read the P&K Council Press release on the 5 year Etape Caledonia deal.