One of the world’s top cycling teams in the world came to Hvar for winter training last month, and Suncani Hvar Hotels hosted the team of 75 people from Bahrain Merida at their bike hotel, Pharos bayhill hvar in December. TCN caught up with Marzia Marti from the Suncani marketing team, to learn more about the event and the growing importance of Hvar as a cycling destination.
1. One of the world’s top cycling teams came to Hvar in December for its winter training, a fantastic promotion for the island and cycling tourism. How did the idea come about?
Hvar is the gem of the Adriatic and is steadily gaining popularity as a destination perfect for cycling tourism. Not only is the island full of different routes that make the island an adequate place for cycling and exploring natural beauties, but it is also full of talented cycling enthusiasts that together with the Hvar Tourist Board and Sunčani Hvar Hotels shaped this great event!
2. December is a quiet time for tourism on Hvar, so having a high profile team of 75 guests must have been a challenge for you and the Suncani team. Tell us a little about that.
With the growth of business in general, each month is a challenge for Sunčani Hvar Hotels. However, with a well-trained pool of our highly skilled seasonal and permanent employees we manage to tackle the challenges put in front of us.
3. What were your impressions of the training camp in general, and what lessons did you learn for next time?
The Bahrain-Merida team is a group of highly structured professionals; excelling in organizational skills with high level PR and marketing staff. We are very appreciative of how well the team mingled with the locals, especially with the children whose joy was clearly visible when they came to visit the team at Pharos. We are happy to see that Team Bahrain Merida gave support to the local community and the children as this is exactly what Sunčani Hvar stands for!
4. Pharos bayhill hvar hotel reopened with a completely new look and feel last summer. Tell us why it is the hotel for millennials and cyclists.
Pharos is a fresh and modern hotel for tech savvy consumers. It is all about the atmosphere, facilities and connection between people. It has everything for the young sports generation, from a bike room, bike washing facilities, tools for repairs and pumps to laundry services for your biking clothes!
5. How do you rate Hvar as a cycling destination, and what do you recommend for cyclists interested in coming here? What more needs to be done to improve Hvar as a cycling destination?
The island of Hvar has always been perceived as an ideal cycling destination with great weather and mild climate all year round. The arrival of Team Bahrain Merida just confirms that Hvar island is indeed the perfect cycling destination. There is always room for innovation and new cycling trails that are suitable for the growing trend of adrenalin downhill mountain biking.
6. Hvar used to be a popular destination for winter sporting team preparations. The visit of Bahrain Merida has shown that this is possible. How does Hvar build on the success of this event?
Sunčani Hvar is already in contact with different agents. Overall, the media coverage and different social media gave us more visibility and an additional boost for our potential and new partners.
