Pedal power takes tourists for a ride

RIGA - Public bike rentals first appeared in Europe in the 1970s, used as an alternative to public transport. In Latvia, the first bike tours began operating in the mid-90s, but have only really become popular in the past decade.
EAT (Experiencing Alternative Tours) Riga has been showing visitors sights of the city and beyond, by bike, for three years now. Bike tour manager Marcus Nation said that, as far as he knows, they were the first company to start the cycling sightseeing trade in Riga.

However, since the business kicked off, they’ve seen two other tour companies crash, reasons unknown, even though client numbers are increasing.
Latvia is an ideal country for roaming by bike because of the number of rural and forest roads. It appeals to eco-friendly travellers as there is less competition on back roads, meaning cyclists can pedal at their leisure.
“It’s a more active, more healthy, more ecological way to travel,” Marcus said.

It’s a fact many people are more environmentally aware these days and look for ways to protect the earth, seeing it as a personal investment. Travelling by bicycle is one way of easily accomplishing this. Tourists see pedal power as an established replacement to using public transport around the places they visit. Often it’s cheaper than taking the bus or renting a taxi, and by booking a tour they go to places already on their ‘Things to See’ list without the hassle of looking at maps or having to stop and ask directions.

The cycling season in Latvia generally runs from May to September, although there have been times where EAT Riga has been asked to do group tours out of the usual period. And Nation said the weather does not affect them as much as one would think. “There are some people who are crazy enough to bike in the rain. They might only be in the city for one day and want to do a tour. But, of course, a good summer means we’ll make more money.”

He thinks one reason bike tours are so successful is due to cycling’s popularity Europe-wide. “People want to be shown around the city and told about it as they go along. The majority of our clients are Dutch – big groups, small groups, couples. It’s natural; they’re bike-crazy. But we get Germans and Swedish people and [clients] from countries where the cycling culture is engrained.”

Nation estimates that in 2011 the number of bikers on the streets of Riga has tripled or even quadrupled compared with previous years. Cycling generally appeals to a recreation-type market, although in Latvia there’s a growing trend where people use two wheels to get to work or university. This is a positive sign for the bike tour industry on the whole. It means more people are enjoying bicycles in their everyday life, and when it comes to travelling, they’ll look for similar options. And people are looking.

“The Internet is very important. Over the winter months we put a lot of time into developing our online presence (www.eatriga.lv). We come up number one in many search engines. This week we’ve been printing flyers, which are put in all the major hotels and hostels.

“When we started this we were doing a lot of marketing through hostels, but we noticed how there were a lot of older people doing bike tours. It’s not just a youth market,” he says.
The main competition for the Riga market comes from one other tour operator and a rental company, where customers rent a bike from a stand for a length of time they choose. This type of business is a familiar sight around Europe and a good option for those on a stricter budget, or perhaps for people who don’t mind cruising the streets on their own.

EAT Riga’s most popular tours are the daily 12 and 3 p.m. options, where “people can just show up.” This hasn’t stopped companies from introducing unique journey ideas, like a midnight bike ride around the city through dimly lit streets and eerie cemetery settings. Businesses are catering to a growing demand amongst different demographics for something different, something which will give them the best value for money. With people still feeling the effects of the economic climate, new and creative options are a necessity to convince travelers to open their wallets.
“Different people want to see different things. If they see something they like, they’ll do it. If there are more options, there’s a greater likelihood of finding something they like.”

Whether viewed on the Internet or located at information centers, tourism promoters are advocating biking throughout Latvia, providing detailed maps of routes to take, plus petitioning for the ongoing development of cycle paths. The trail in Jurmala alone stretches 32 kilometers along the coastline, one of the most popular paths for cyclists. If bikes are available to everyone, it is hoped this environmentally-friendly means of transport will increase in popularity and become the norm, especially for those businesses that depend on tourists who want to travel by bike.