A Mount Cook Trek to Utrecht

Our Sales Consultant Madeline Casey tells us about her recent trip to Utrecht to promote Mount Cook Adventure Centre and the Peak District, alongside CEO Steve Turner and Director Colin Adams - in partnership with Marketing Peak District and Derbyshire.

Mount Cook has been eager to open our doors to international guests for some time, so we were absolutely thrilled to find out our friends at Visit Peak District were attending the amazing Fiets en Wandlebeurs in Utrecht this year! They were kind enough to invite us along to display Mount Cook and promote tourism in the Peak District. Mount Cook has displayed at fairs and conferences all over the UK, but this was the first time (hopefully of many) we have had to opportunity to display abroad, so needless to say we were excited for the opportunity!

The fair itself is an amazing display of stands from all over the world, advertising their local area and different trek trails and bike rides that take you through entire counties. There are dozens of workshops, outdoor equipment stands, inspirational talks, and activities to try out. The fair attracts around 43,000 potential holiday makers over the 3 days, so we were ready to be non-stop busy!

Our stand had a fantastic canvas full of eye-catching pictures of the Peak District. The attendees found it hard to walk past pictures of Ladybower Reservoir or Mam Tor without stopping to ask how they could get there. We were displaying alongside some great local businesses: Hoe Grange Holidays and Agricola House, who offer comfy yet quirky accommodation, Glory Days Bikes who were ‘geared up’ to hire out vintage British bikes and bike tours, and White Peak Distillery, who were handing out samples and their sensational gin.

We were primarily promoting our fantastic skills courses where guests can learn a new skill or activity of their choice, like navigation, rock climbing, caving, or photography. The courses last a weekend and include Full Board accommodation in comfy en-suite single occupancy room. However, we also found ourselves talking about the best local bike routes and our favourite peaks to climb with anyone who asked!

A highlight of the show was meeting such a variety of people with a passion for the outdoors – all the attendees of the fair had amazing stories about different journeys they’d been on and loads of well laid plans for their next adventure. The UK, and specifically the ruggedness of the Peak District is definitely a popular spot for Dutch Tourists as the terrain is so different to Holland! Now that E-bikes are rising in popularity, cycling around the Peak District is becoming more appealing to a wide range of ages and ability levels.

Overall, we had a fantastic and fruitful weekend. International customers are important to Mount Cook as we believe in providing access to the outdoors for all – we believe the Peak District and Derbyshire are the most beautiful locations in the UK, and we want to share them with as many people as possible. We also hope to bring more revenue to our fantastic small local business, especially in rural communities.