Ontario By Bike Network:

Industry Update - November 2023

Ontario By Bike Ride - North Bay & Lakes Tour Georgian Bay Collingwood Explorer

2023 Year in Review - Ontario By Bike

With a few months left in the year, we continue to be busy working with you, our tourism industry partners and certified bicycle friendly businesses, and are looking towards 2024 - making plans to continue reaching out connecting with consumers, visitors and cyclists of all types. Here and in brief, we are pleased to share with you some of our accomplishments for the year.

REACHING & ENGAGING CYCLISTS

• 2023 edition of Cycling in Ontario/ Le vélo en Ontario continued to be very popular and in demand publication used as a valued resource by cyclists and Ontario travellers (See below for our 2024 marketing partnerships)
• Posted 19 blogs, and started to add new blog promo to partners destination pages
• Activated social media campaign reaching over 398,000 June to October
• Promoted website averaging 48,000 page views monthly
• Continued popular monthly consumer e-newsletter sent March to October with over 16,750 subscribers
• Met with thousands of cyclists at 4 Ontario shows/events, and 1 in Montreal
• Sold new and branded 2023 cycling jerseys
• Hosted 144 cyclists on 4 Ontario By Bike Rides, weekend long tour events in destinations around Ontario, coordinating all bookings and payments directly

FOR OUR INDUSTRY PARTNERS & ONTARIO BY BIKE CERTIFIED BUSINESSES

• Hosted Cycle Tourism Conference Canada in March
• 98 new businesses certified as bicycle friendly by Ontario By Bike to date in 2023, making total across Ontario – 1,687
• Held 6 webinars & 1 in person workshop for 135 registered attendees (plus 1 more upcoming November webinar)
• Updated business listings to ensure all current, which included removing a number no longer operating, in destination renewal partner regions: Haliburton Highlands, Durham Region, Chatham Kent, Grey County; Peterborough & the Kawarthas; Kawartha Lakes
• 2 Ontario By Bike Industry Partnership Advisory Committee web conferences (2nd to be held in November)
• Received TICO license to sell ride packages, developed online booking system
• Published new business outreach card, available for distribution
• Completed several photo shoots with Destination Ontario
• Working on new research report, and additional research received (see below)
• Completed a number of consulting projects for destinations around Ontario
• Attended, represented and presented at a number of industry meetings
• And so much more...

Visit our website to access more on above: OntarioByBike.ca

Or contact us directly by email: info@ontariobybike.ca

2024 Marketing Partnerships

-NOW AVAILABLE-

We recently made available our 2024 marketing partnerships

Read and appreciated by thousands of cyclists who find inspiration and trip planning resources to visit cycling destinations across Ontario, the annual guide helps our partners reach an active and targeted audience. With wide distribution, access Ontario By Bike’s engaged community of readers, cycling enthusiasts and Ontario travellers eager to discover different areas and your destination in Ontario, by bike.

Print Partnerships 2024

Become an advertising partner in Ontario's only cycle tourism publication. In 2023 the 11th annual edition of this popular 56 page featured inspiring stories, content and resources. From our readers survey: 

• 94% found the guide ‘useful’ or ‘very useful’ when planning a cycling trip in 2023
• 71% of readers visited destinations or businesses featured in 2023 guide
• 81% visited websites and used resources referenced in 2023 guide

With 40,000 printed in 2023, extensive distribution throughout Canada and into the US, plus 17,000 digital reads and downloads of the past 2 editions - don't miss this opportunity that sells out each year. 

Digital Partnerships 2024

Digital resources are one of the most frequently used sources of info cyclists use in pre-planning trips and outings. More cyclists than ever are visiting OntarioByBike.ca, engaged through our e-newsletters and following us on social media. Get in front of cyclists with a variety of content partnerships or display advertising options. 

2024 partnerships are selling fast.

Event Partnerships 2024

Each year Ontario By Bike is an exhibitor at a number of Ontario and Quebec shows and events. Benefit from this added exposure and reach a new audience, with reduced expenses and resources, through our events partnership. We are already making plans for 2024 that you can be a part of. 



- Booking deadline November 15 for print -

Digital & event deadlines - first come first serve 

Don't miss this opportunity - All options sell out

For all marketing partnership information & media kit visit OntarioByBike.ca/2024marketing

Cyclists at Creemore Bakery & Cafe. Photo Credit: Destination Ontario

New Research & Survey

As we know stats, facts and numbers are important to many of our industry partners we are constantly updating our resources, accessing new research reports as well as conducting primary research ourselves. The following may be of interest.

Stats Canada National Travel Survey

Recently available, we have now been able to access the 2021 Stats Canada data that relates to cycling activities by visitors in Ontario.

• 1.6 million cycling visits in Ontario in 2021, representing 2% of total visits in Ontario 
• $537 million spent, accounting for 3.7% of total visitor spending in Ontario
• Largest spending categories (in order) are accommodations, food & beverage, transportation
• $431 spent per trip (cyclists) vs. $332/trip (non-cyclists)
• Same-day visitors $101 spent per day (cyclists) vs. $88/trip (non-cyclists)
• 2.5 nights average per trip (cyclists) vs. 1 night (non-cyclists)
• 70% of cycling visits were overnight visits (compared to 34% of total visits non-cyclists) 



Note: 2021 data is domestic (Canadian visitor) results only.

Share Cycling Survey

Help us share this new survey to cyclists in your community. Providing partners and stakeholders with valuable insight into the cycling and cycle tourism market in Ontario, this 2023 survey will build on past data sets and enable us to create a useful report for all.

Please share survey link:

www.surveymonkey.com/r/2023CyclingSurvey

*Survey open until November 15, 2023. 

Sign up to receive a copy of this research report when complete HERE. 

Download suggested content, text and graphic to make it easy to share HERE.

See all past research at: TransportationOptions.org/Research

Congratulations to our 2023 Bicycle Friendly Business Award Winners!

-2024 Award Nominations open January-

We would like to once again extend our congratulations to the 2023 Best Bicycle Friendly Business Award Winners from each region. OntarioByBike.ca/2023AwardWinners

Winning businesses received significant recognition as each one was featured in our e-newsletter in 2023, included on media releases, received an award decal and had the opportunity to attend and receive award at our Cycle Tourism Conference in March.

Nominations for 2024 awards open in January. Don't miss out on this opportunity.

All certified bicycle friendly businesses and partner destinations will receive information directly.

2024 Cycling Events - Free Listing

Be sure to check that any cycling events in your area are listed on our events calendar with 2024 dates as soon as announced.

Event listings can be found at OntarioByBike.ca/Events

Events bring cycle tourists to your destination and to local businesses in the area.

In 2023 we updated our event listing eligibility policy and submission form. See info and share the following link to activate listings: OntarioByBike.ca/Cycling-Event-Organizers

Photo credit: Grey Highlands Gran Fondo

Ontario Cycling & Ontario By Bike

Ontario Cycling is the recognized authority by Cycling Canada on all aspects of the sport of cycling in Ontario, including Mountain Bike, Para-Cycling, Road, Track, and BMX.

The collaboration between our two organizations is a connection which will strengthen the promotion of cycling through sport, tourism, recreation, and transportation. As we celebrate the diverse cycling opportunities and vast networks of trails and roads in Ontario, this partnership will further build on the value that both organizations bring to cycling enthusiasts throughout the Province.

Find a link to Ontario Cycling on our Resources & Guides page.

Visit Ontario Cycling's new Lifestyle page at: OntarioCycling.org/Lifestyle

Bicycle Friendly Certification Criteria

Recent Accommodations Policy Change

Ontario By Bike regularly reviews its bicycle friendly business certification criteria to make sure we are striking the right balance of being flexible to certify a wide range of tourism-oriented businesses and locations, while also maintaining a reasonable standard for businesses and providing a reliable database of bicycle friendly businesses that cyclists can count on while planning day or overnight cycling trips.

We have recently updated our Accommodations certification policy. The following has been added to our terms and exclusions to ensure that there are a variety of accommodation offerings and locations, especially in more rural areas, that are dedicated to welcoming visitors, including cycle tourists.

• Location must operate a stand-alone website that includes tourism information about the area. Locations listed exclusively on AirBnB or VRBO or similar short-term rental websites are not permitted (bookings can be processed through short-term rental site, but landing page must be location’s own website). 

All information about current standards and certification criteria is available at: OntarioByBike.ca/Criteria

Ontario By Bike Ride - Oxford Rural Road Ride County rural road ride

Resources

In September we had the opportunity to attend and present at an industry event in eastern Ontario:

Cashing in on Cycle Tourism.

The information shared by a number of speakers, including Ontario By Bike, and ensuing discussions around maximizing benefits from trails and cycle tourism may be of interest.

All now available online HERE.

What's New With You?

We are always looking for stories and updates about what is new for cyclists to discover and enjoy at your location or destination. Please do drop us a line to share. 

We are busy now working on content for our annual Cycling in Ontario / Le vélo en Ontario guide for 2024, and have active social media channels throughout the winter. Also keep us in mind when it gets closer to spring and we restart our monthly consumer/cyclists e-newsletter.

Get in Touch

Louisa Mursell & Peter McMurtry

Ontario By Bike Network

Project of Transportation Options

850 Coxwell Ave ~ Toronto, ON ~ M4C 5R1

Office: 416-827-2774

Toll-Free: 1-866-701-2774

Email: info@ontariobybike.ca

Want to read more: Link to our past industry e-newsletter archive HERE

Link to our past consumer/cyclists e-newsletter archive and subscribe HERE

Share using the hashtag #OntarioByBike & #BikeON!