UCI Cycling Championships prove a success for Stirling
An extra 75,000 people visited Stirling city centre during the UCI Cycling World Championships time-trials.
Article Source: Go Forth Stirling
Last Updated: 14 August 2023 15:47
Footfall counters, installed by Go Forth Stirling BID, recorded a 61% increase in visitors during the three days the city hosted the event compared with the previous week.
Friday was the busiest day for spectators with 80,000 people heading into the city to soak up the atmosphere – 62% more than the week before.
The cycling competition proved a major success for Stirling’s city centre business owners who reported increased sales and footfall.
And Go Forth’s LIVE Zone at the bottom of King Street, which featured deckchairs and a huge screen showing all the cycling action, was popular with fans from all over the world.
Go Forth Stirling BID Project Director Danielle McRorie-Smith said: “We were delighted to see so many visitors arrive in Stirling for the championships and the numbers certainly exceeded our expectations.
“Our data counters recorded significant increases in footfall and this was reflected in the feedback from the business community who reported substantial increases in sales.
“Wetherspoons, for example, told us their sales were up 50% last Friday compared to a usual Friday with similar increases for Gloria’s Café and cocktail bar Meraki.
“Meanwhile, the team at Cafe Aina were delighted to see increased sales throughout the championships and said Friday was among the five top days they’ve ever had for turnover.
“Other business owners talked about the real buzz there was around Stirling during the event and how much they enjoyed the friendly atmosphere as well as the rise in customers coming into their premises.”
The time-trial races took place from Wednesday August 9 to Friday August 11 with 54,672 visitors recorded on the Wednesday – up 41% compared to the previous week.
The Go Forth footfall counters, based in King Street, Barnton Street, Friars Street, Station Road, Port Street and Upper Craigs, also recorded 57,860 visitors on the Thursday (up 78%) and 79,943 on the Friday (up 62%).
Across the three days, a total of 192,475 visitors were counted – an additional 74,935 people compared to the 117,540 recorded the week before.
As well as providing footfall counters to monitor visitor figures, Go Forth Stirling set up the King Street LIVE Zone and recruited volunteers to help the organisation’s Street Ambassadors direct people around the city.
Ms McRorie-Smith said: “The LIVE Zone was a huge success which was busy every day with people of all nationalities taking in the events on the big screen and kicking back on the deck chairs right in the heart of the action.
“This was a major investment for the city and traders said it really benefited their businesses with many of the coffee shops in the area reporting their busiest days on record.
“We were also pleased to provide extra volunteer Ambassadors who joined our usual Street Ambassadors in highlighting Stirling’s wonderful independent shops, restaurants and cafes to visitors as well as advising them on details of the race routes.
“They also handed out Go Forth balloons and stickers to children and worked really hard to make sure visitors enjoyed their experience in the city and to give them a warm Stirling welcome.”
Go Forth also created a base at the City Park Expo Fan Zone marketing city businesses and encouraging fans to head into the centre to visit them.
The UCI Cycling World Championships 2023 - the biggest event in cycling history - was hosted across Central Scotland with Stirling city centre and the surrounding area providing routes for the individual time-qualifying events in all race categories.
Go Forth Stirling is the not-for-profit company which runs Stirling’s BID (Business Improvement District) and works collectively with the city’s traders to support the business community.
The organisation was set up in 2017 and currently represents more than 600 local businesses with a key objective of delivering projects and services which improve Stirling’s trading environment to benefit businesses, shoppers and visitors.
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