When the Tour of Britain comes to Carmarthenshire for the first time on September 2 it promises to attract thousands of visitors and bring many more local people out to enjoy the spectacle and community events around the county.

Stage One of the Tour of Britain starts at Pembrey Country Park where the top cyclists in the world will begin their journey north through Kidwelly, Carmarthen, Abergwili, Nantgaredig, Llandeilo and Llandovery.

Live televised coverage on ITV4 throughout the day and an hour of prime-time highlights means the eyes of the world will be on Carmarthenshire – all in all, a great opportunity for businesses to benefit from an economic boost that is set to be around £4million to Wales.

Here’s some handy tips to ensure you make the most from the 2018 Tour of Britain…

Accommodation:

Stage One of the Tour of Britain, which starts in Carmarthenshire, takes place on a Sunday (September 2) so why not promote a weekend break for visitors to take advantage of our fantastic cycling routes and attractions. Offer an early breakfast for visitors who want to get out early to secure prime positions along the route, or maybe offer a takeaway breakfast and lunch. If you have grounds or land, consider offering a temporary campsite – provided the land is not used for more than 28 days in a calendar year, planning permission is not required, and provided it is not used for more than 42 days consecutively, or 60 days in total in any consecutive 12 months, there is no need for a tent site licence. Ensure your accommodation is listed on the ‘places to stay’ section of DiscoverCarmarthenshire.com

Parking:

Parking will not be allowed along any part of the route, and with thousands of visitors expected, many people will be looking for a place to safely park for the duration of the race. If your business has a car park or ample surrounding space, why not offer visitors a place to park and advertise it well in advance.

Food and drink:

Stage One of the route goes through several towns and villages, but also a lot of countryside where there may not be many food and drink outlets. If you are not already an established and registered food business, speak to our environmental health team to check what you need to do to be able to set up mobile catering along the route. Consider Tour of Britain themed menus and special promotions, and if you have a TV licence for your premises switch to ITV4 to offer live coverage of the race throughout the week and advertise this to passers-by. Help visitors and the environment by offering to fill up water bottles with tap water.

Events:

Get involved and give visitors a reason to stick around before and after the race. Look online for inspiration and use our free event toolkit on www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales to plan your activities and ensure everything’s in check.

Retailers:

Get creative and brighten up your windows with a special Tour of Britain themed display! Get your staff and your customers involved with special offers and promotions through the week, offer sample products or free tasters to ensure your customers make a return visit after the race. Keep an eye on the weather and offer products to suit – hopefully we won’t need ponchos, but have some in stock just in case!

Work with others:

Make connections with other businesses in your area to see how you could benefit from each other – could you offer a service to another business? For example takeaway menus to nearby campsites or accommodation that don’t offer their own, or services for the many cyclists that will be staying and spending locally. Promote each other’s special offers or offer joint promotions and discounts.

Be cycle friendly!

Keen cyclists, amateur cyclists, cycling clubs and families will be inspired to saddle up and enjoy the Tour of Britain in Carmarthenshire, so take advantage and ensure you cater well for everyone. Get to know your local cycle routes, provide visitors with maps or point them to DiscoverCarmarthenshire.com; offer to re-fill water bottles, provide safe places for people to lock their bikes, help people who need to make emergency repairs and advertise what you’ve got to offer!

Web and social media:

Join the fun on social media by remembering to use #BeicioSirGar #CycleCarms and #OVOToB for re-tweets and shares. Engage with @CarmsCouncil @DiscoverCarms @SportCarms and @tourofbritain on Twitter and Facebook and share our posts to your own social audiences to be part of the fun and excitement, as well as to share important event messages. Boost your posts by paying to target key audiences within specific locations.
Update your websites and socials with any information that would benefit visitors and cyclists and attract them to visit you. Provide plenty of links to ensure your online customers can keep up to date with information, including:

• http://www.discovercarmarthenshire.com/explore/epic-cycling-routes/tour-of-britain-2018/
• http://newsroom.carmarthenshire.gov.uk/
• http://www.tourofbritain.co.uk/

Appearance and advertising:

With thousands of visitors and live televised coverage throughout the day, the Tour of Britain is effectively a massive free advertisement for Carmarthenshire! Make the most of it – make sure your business is looking its best and do something special to stand out from the crowd!

Branding:

The Tour of Britain logo can be used only by official sponsors, partners and in the media or event listings. It cannot be used to endorse products, services or specific businesses, or imply the endorsement of the organisers unless there is a sponsorship or other agreement in place.

Be prepared:

There will be rolling road closures on Sunday, September 2, likely to last for a maximum of 40 minutes as the race progresses through the county. Ensure your staff and customers are aware of likely traffic disruption. Find estimated arrival times of cyclists in your locality at www.tourofbritain.co.uk – the rolling closures are likely from around 30 minutes ahead of the ETA and 5-10 minutes during and after the race has passed.

Need help, advice, or got a question?

Get in touch with us: marketing@carmarthenshire.gov.uk