THE OPPORTUNITY
Northern Ontario features some of the most scenic roads in North America. For generations, families have been making the epic journey around Lake Superior, creating memories that last a lifetime. RTO13 (B & C), the City of Thunder Bay and Algoma Country wanted to further develop this route and refine its motorcycle touring product. With years of motorcycle route development experience, BC Hughes was able to help.
THE PROCESS
BC Hughes took to the roads, mapping out motorcycle routes and visiting potential operators. The team inventoried the assets along motorcycle ready roads, and put them through a criteria checklist to determine if they were ready to host motorcycle riders. As a result of the first phase of the project, nine motorcycle touring routes were created and operators were ready to welcome motorcycle traffic.
Subsequent projects saw the development of a riding map, and the creation of the Ride Lake Superior website which includes an interactive route map for trip planning and other items that appeal to the motorcycle rider. The development of a nostalgic road tripping brand and a marketing plan aimed at enticing riders to do this epic bucket list ride allowed the region to attract their target market and to place the route on the must do list of US and Canadian riders.
THE OUTCOME
The BC Hughes destination development team worked with the tourism region to create an epic motorcycle-friendly route that has boosted the number of riders in the region. The route development has resulted in increased tourism spending, with 2017 estimates of the economic impact of pegged at $6 million annually in direct spending.
The BC Hughes marketing team’s creation of an effective marketing strategy and brand toolkit launched the riding experience into the market and helped it to gain traction with riders. In Ride Lake Superior’s first year, BC Hughes took over the Ride Lake Superior Facebook account growing it from 190 to 6,400 engaged fans in just five months, before handing the account back to the client to manage.
