Galloway Cycling Holidays is a small tour operator based in Galloway, specialising in unique cycling holidays throughout the D&G. The service ranges from creating cycling packages with hotel and B&B accommodation, routes, bike hire, luggage transfer and cultural storytelling. They specialise in recreational and gravel cycling and attract visitors from all over the world. GCH has been awarded the GSA UNESCO Biosphere accreditation for sustainable business development. GCH was instrumental in initiating the partnership with RED:ON which brought the Raiders Gravel Festival and The Gralloch gravel cycling event, the only UCI Trek Gravel World Championship qualifier in the UK, to the region.
Since 2017, GCH has been a key driver in the development of D&G's tourism listing. They are the only activity tour operator specialising in cycling in Dumfries and Galloway. Their relentless drive to provide the very best service, marketing efforts, exciting product development and working with outstanding partners such as RED:ON, Galloway Glens, Forestry Land, SSDA and VisitScotland (to name but a few) has brought D&G to the forefront of people's minds both nationally and internationally. They have proven that cycling holidays and activities have a positive impact on communities and are an economic driver. GCH's portfolio has attracted international publishers such as CondeNast, The Guardian, Telegraph, Cycling Weekly, Cycling Plus, Lonely Planet and many more. Their partnership with RED:ON Events and the delivery of outstanding cycling events is testament to the collaboration and belief that Galloway is a world class destination. The Gralloch (May 2023), a UCI licensed gravel cycle race which is the UK's only qualifier for the UCI World Championships (Italy), is a high quality, premium production which not only allows regional sporting and industrial talent to showcase their world class ability, but also brings international exposure and money into the local economy. The route was designed by GCH. They also initiated and worked in close partnership with RED:ON, FLS, the Council, SOSE, SSDA and the Gatehouse of Fleet community. GCH holds the GSA UNESCO Biosphere Certification Mark for Sustainable Business Development and is a strong advocate of sustainable tourism. GCH was instrumental in the development of the GSA (Galloway & Southern Ayrshire) Biosphere's Event Charter, which has now been incorporated into the D&G Council's Green Events Toolkit.
The biggest change has been the use of the wider Galloway Forest and the existing off-road tracks within the region through investment in gravel cycling. The new industry in cycling allows for a combined audience of road and mountain bike (MTB) cycling, without being either 'one place' (MTB centres) or 'race through' focused, and is of interest to a wide range of people and ages. It also allows the new audience to explore new regions. GCH has invested in a fleet of gravel bikes and added this new form of cycling to its portfolio. It has also worked with influential journalists, cycle guides and event organiser RED:ON Events to promote D&G as an attractive region to invest in. GCH has also looked at its sustainability development and decided to focus on 'HUB' holidays*, creating loops from a series of small towns. This allows visitors to engage more with local communities, accommodation providers have less turnover and there is less car mileage when transferring luggage. HUB holidays allow for greater flexibility in visitors' holiday planning. This has resulted in more holidays being sold and more cyclists coming to the region. GCH also began to promote cycle hire to encourage individual, active exploration of Galloway. This in turn helps to promote the region as a cycle friendly destination.
They are a two-person company, capacity is a challenge. Only through continued investment, collaborations and partnerships, continued marketing and fine-tuning of their portfolio will they be able to grow and continue on the path to making this region world class. Gralloch: They faced several fundamental challenges: D&G was not known as a cycling destination, let alone a world-class gravel venue. The Gralloch had never been on any event calendar and potential visitors had very little to go on. The budget was extremely tight and the team very small. The UCI licence is not cheap and supporters had to have faith in the team's ability to deliver. Potential sponsors were slow to respond to the opportunities. What they did have was local knowledge, incredible local support, world-class production and marketing expertise, and excellent collaboration between businesses, regional organisations and the D&G Council. The UCI-approved course was designed by Warren. The challenge was to find a long off-road route with little or no road closures. In addition, a small section of forest track had to be rebuilt. The partnership and support of the FLS in the person of Lyndy Renwick was outstanding and vital. Without her dedication and support this event would have been very different. It cannot be emphasised enough that this successful race, highly praised by the UCI itself, enjoyed by professional and amateur competitors and visitors alike, was a sustainable event in every sense of the word - making every effort to minimise its environmental impact, working with the local community to ensure that they too benefited and creating a platform for economic growth.