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Cumbria Chamber of Commerce has revised and reissued its hugely-popular toolkit to help businesses benefit from the Tour of Britain.

The cycle race delivered an £11m boost to Cumbria’s economy when the county hosted two stages last year.

It returns on Tuesday September 10.

Stage four, beginning in Gateshead, will enter Cumbria on the B6276 above Stainmore and pass through Brough, Kirkby Stephen, Sedbergh and Kirkby Lonsdale, finishing with a challenging climb up Beast Banks in Kendal where 10,000 spectators watched when the town last hosted the race in 2016.

For details of the route click here.

Rob Johnston, chief executive of Cumbria Chamber of Commerce, said: “We know from experience that the Tour brings substantial economic benefits.

“It isn’t only businesses along the route that can profit from the race. The extensive TV coverage is effectively a free advertisement for Cumbria, which should lead to a sustained increase in visitor numbers.

“Last year we put together a toolkit, based on best practice elsewhere, to help businesses maximise the opportunities.

“It was a great success and was downloaded more than 4,300 times, so we’ve updated it for 2019. It’s important that businesses start planning now and have a strategy in place to make the most of this great opportunity.”

To access the toolkit, click here. 

It contains specific advice for retailers, food operators and accommodation providers, including guidance on setting up temporary campsites.

There is information on how businesses can become more cycle-friendly, how they can use social media to engage with cycle fans, how they can encourage visitors to return and how businesses can take advantage of corporate hospitality opportunities on the finish line in Kendal.

After the Ovo Energy Tour of Britain came last year, the organisers commissioned independent research to assess the economic impact.

They calculated that Cumbria benefited by almost £11m as a direct result of the race.

Other findings included:

  • 240,000 spectators watched the two stages;
  • 1.5m viewed the coverage on ITV4;
  • 60 per cent of spectators came from outside Cumbria and 48 per cent stayed overnight;
  • Average spend by overnight visitors was £133 per group.

Once again this year, each stage of the race will be televised live on ITV4, with the coverage reaching a worldwide audience of millions.