Bike tourism is booming! However, this is a new era; these are the days when spectacular views, fun trails, and legendary passes aren’t enough to guarantee a successful riding vacation. This new generation of jet-setting cycling enthusiasts – be it road, mountain bike, E-MTB, or even urban – demand far more stringent standards. In the current media-rich landscape, each tourism destination is facing the biggest hurdle to date: how to offer a unique experience that attracts riders to their shores, mountainsides, or streets?
The tourism category awards innovative approaches to services and products within the tourism industry. These include wide-reaching concepts that present visitors with unique experiences both on- and offline, as well as ones that immerse and orientate the visitor in the destination and offer long-lasting benefits.
Stoneman Dolomiti
The Stoneman Trail, located in the stunning 3 Zinnen Dolomites region, bridges the prevalent gulf between competitive riding and leisure. It’s the ultimate challenge for those who prefer to sidestep the pressure and intense competition of a race, but still want to push their physical limits and forego the need to self-navigate. The 115 km trail weaves its way through the spectacular 3 Zinnen Dolomites region, taking in an impressive 4,000 metres of elevation. There are four marked departure points for the trail, and it’s most definitely the preserve of the summer months. Before starting, you have access to a starter package with all of the route information. There’s an online results list, which records the number of days taken (to meet the Gold standard, you’ve got just 24 hours). It’s all clocked by five checkpoints en route where you receive a stamp. Once completed and back at your starting location, you can pick up the hand-made and much sought-after Stoneman trophy, which Roland Stauder, the founder of the trails, lovingly crafts. The Stoneman Trail has nailed the individual aspect of the physical challenge and placed it firmly in front of a stunning backdrop to create long-lasting experiences for those take part. It’s an aspirational and well thought-out approach to tourism.
Head to stoneman.it for more details.
For more information on the Design & Innovation Award 2017 and the awarded products head to design-innovation-award.com.
Design & Innovation Award 2017 – Special Issue
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