Our mission in northwest Iceland was to analyze and understand whether and in what form mountain biking and/or cycle tourism can be used as an instrument for the economic development of the region.
In other words, to determine whether the area had potential for cycling and mountain biking.
Concept development in Iceland
Few countries offer as much untapped gravel potential as Iceland.
Iceland is currently experiencing a boom in popularity. However, these tourist flows are not evenly distributed, but rather concentrated in certain seasons and hotspots. One of the challenges lies in better managing these flows and distributing the added value accordingly.
With exactly this objective in mind, we carried out a cycling and mountain bike potential analysis in the Northwest region. This comprehensive analysis has provided a clear picture of the current situation and generated valuable insights that have been then integrated into a business model and an action plan.
In such cases, we are therefore in the first phase of the development process of a cycling destination: at this stage, it is essential to understand what the destination has to offer and relate it to what customers are looking for—that is, to identify market dynamics, trends, and prospects for development. This analysis provides initial indications about the strategic direction to follow.
These hypotheses must then be verified, both through site visits and meetings with key stakeholders. During this phase, a large amount of information is collected, which are then processed and incorporated into a series of preliminary recommendations.
This is exactly what we did in northwestern Iceland as well.
Based on this information, we have subsequently identified potentially suitable gravel routes: a deep understanding of the target group, a structured work methodology, and the big-picture perspective we had previously gained have allowed us to develop the concept in a coherent, realistic, and sustainable way.
However, the product doesn't end here:
The itinerary is the foundation, and it’s important that it reflects a set of characteristics, but the expectations of gravel cyclists often go far beyond the trail or road: they want to explore, they want to be surprised, and they may want to interact with other people… The product will be the overall experience the customer has at the destination: the more this experience—with all its components—aligns with the customer’s expectations, the more attractive the product will be. It is therefore essential to involve service providers.
Equally important—but something to focus on once the product has been developed—is promotion.
Choosing the right channels, creating content aligned with identified customer profiles, and ensuring good coordination among marketing activities are essential requirements to promote and sell efficiently and effectively.
To support the northwest region of Iceland and help it understand the entire development process, we completed our work by developing a business model and an action plan, including a timeline, expected investments, and an analysis of the project’s potential economic impact.
ALLEGRA Conclusion:
That of northwestern Iceland is an excellent example of where to start when a destination wants to figure out which direction to take to develop the tourism offer.
Ask VANESA
Hardly anyone at ALLEGRA is as deeply involved in this topic as our tourism and mobility expert, Vanesa Gorgal. Together with our teams in Switzerland and the Nordic countries, she helps destinations turn the potential into authentic gravel experiences. Her work demonstrates how gravel roads can lead to successful destinations.
Would you like to learn more about how we arrived at these findings and what opportunities they present for destinations? Then we look forward to a personal exchange.
The journey continues…
…towards developing a successful gravel destination. Take a look at Step 1: Potential analysis using Graubünden as an example and Step 3: Product development using Ruka-Kuusamo in Finland as an example.
Potential analysis for Graubünden
Inspiration close to home is worthwhile. With its rich cultural heritage, stunning landscapes, and history shaped by significant agricultural use, Graubünden offers ideal conditions for unforgettable gravel riding experiences. It's no wonder that we, as part of Graubünden Bike, have taken a closer look at the potential of gravel.
Product development in Ruka-Kuusamo
How about discovering the land of the happiest inhabitants by gravel? In Ruka-Kuusamo, Finland, we developed a marketing strategy based on a gravel route concept, including branding, personas, channels, a roadmap, and integrated key stakeholders into the development process. By the way: The vastness of Finland may seem remote at first glance. But in fact, Ruka-Kuusamo is just a few hours' flight from Zurich.
